


"Mourning"

by MrsKohakuSato



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Lance is kind of jerk in this, Let Allura Have Nice Things 2k18, Let Lotor have people that care about him 2k18, Multi, One-Sided Allura/Lance (Voltron), One-Sided Attraction, Other, but it's for character development i like lance but he can be immature boy needs to learn, but will see, hunk pidge lance are all 18 here, i still don't care for romelle but i do kind of enjoy having her and lotor not like each other, might add other pairings, my alternative to season 7, really weird attempt at world building, romelle and lotor don't get along, so yeah if your avid lance and don't want to see be portrayed in a negative light do not read, there's none of the colony deblace that canon gave us
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-04 01:08:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15830622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsKohakuSato/pseuds/MrsKohakuSato
Summary: Basically, my Alternative to season 7. Canon? Canon who?





	1. "Awakening"

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: Fixed some spelling errors!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura awakens bruised and injured on Earth, and finds that things aren't what she expects.

Allura woke with a start, her breathe was hitched, her vision blurred, and danced. She blinked, before twisting her eyes shut. There was noise. Her ear twitched. Calling? There was something soft pressed against her back.

“Allura…” it was a woman’s voice.

“Allura.” the voice picked up tone. There was warm breath upon her face.

“Allura!” uggghh……

“R-om-elle-, you’re too close,” with as much strength Allura could muster she presses both palms into the girl’s face to push her away. She blearily cracks her eyes open, only to snap them shut as the bright lights of the room stung.

“Sorry, Princess,” the girl murmurs sheepishly.

“……..Where are we,” this time Allura keeps her gaze half-lidded. In bed, she was in a bed. Her body ached, and her arms burned.

“An infirmary, I think, with everyone else,” Romelle considers her with an unreadable gaze. It’s then that Allura notices that she’s no longer in her usual pig tails, instead she has her blonde locks tied in one that drapes down her back with her bangs swaying above her brows. Allura falls slightly in the dip that Romelle’s weight craves into the bedding, as the girl sits at her side.

“Everyone’s safe?”

“As safe as any could be,” her chin falls into her palms, staring off in the distance. And it’s there that Allura realizes that they aren’t alone.  Faces upon faces surround her, and many of them she did not recognize. But, thankfully she could pick out Pidge, Keith, Hunk, and Lance all slumbering peacefully as they could under the commotion that the doctors, nurses and their families provided. IT was all soft whispers, and occasionally outbursts which were usually followed by a reprimand to be quiet, people are resting.

But, there was something missing. Worry borrowed in her chest, silent, but present, as she rescans the room, and off to her side it’s there she finds Shiro. He, like the others is fast asleep, his body parked in a rather uncomfortable looking wooden chair. His arms are crossed, with his head leaning to the side.

A sense of relief dulls the ache, but there is something still missing-

“Coran! Where’s Coran,” Panic jumped in her chest for a moment.

“Right over here, Princess,” Allura jerks her head to her left to see her trusted advisor laid about wrapped in a full-body cast. It was quite ridiculous to say the least, one she would have said out loud if it weren’t for the fact that she was apprehensive.

 

“Coran…”

“Now, now don’t worry about little old me, Allura. Tis but, a scratch, I’ll be up and outtem in a jiffy! He calls over to her loud and jubilant before he was hushed by a nurse that was checking his vitals.

“Sir, please,” the nurse, a woman with bright orange hair pleads.

Allura can’t help, but crack a weary smile in his direction which Coran returns an enthusiastic one.

Allura felt herself calm, but still there was something unsettling her. She moved to prop herself up, which caused herself to wince, her head throbbing in protest. She placed a hand to her forehead, trying to sooth the twinge, as she rubbed her temple. Her arms were dressed and wrapped, much like her forehead. Her tiara…. she shook herself. It was for a good cause. It was the only way. But, that wasn’t what was inherently bothering her.

She observes the room once again. Everything felt groggy.

“Romelle?” the girl turns back to her.

“Yes, Princess,”

“How long have I’ve been asleep,”

“Umm,” the girl presses a finger to her lip. “About two days straight,”

Two days. That wasn’t too bad, certainly beats 10,000 years, she thought sourly. 10,000 years-10,000 years-

“Lotor,” it’s a whisper, Allura shoots up, nearly startling Romelle into faceplanting into the floor below.

Her eyes are darting around the room. No sign nor head of silver hair or lavender skin.

 “Where’s Lotor?”

Romelle freezes, her gaze squinted, and jerked away.

“They took him somewhere else I believe,” Coran offers, tiring to keep his voice low.  

“What do you mean,” it takes everything in her to keep her voice from shaking.

“He took quite the nasty beating, I’m afraid,”

“Do you know where he is,”

“I’m afraid I don’t know, Princess,” Allura’s eyes are far more awake with concern, she pulls herself up all the way up, despite her body protesting it. Romelle tries to reassure her, and convince her to lay back down, and it’s then that Shiro is waken from his spot in corner of the room.

 

“Allura, what’s wrong,” Shiro yawns.

“Lotor. Where’s Lotor,” her voice pitches.

Shiro pauses, he eyes Coran for a moment before settling his gaze back onto Allura “He’s in the ICU, Allura,”

“ICU-w-what does that mean,” she terrified to know the answer.

“Means he’s in critical condition-”

“What!” Her shout draws a few weary glances. Allura throws her blankets off “Take me to him,” she nearly keels over the second her feet touch the cool floor. Her knees wobbled, and Romelle catches her in time to steady her back to sitting on the bed’s edge.

“Calm down, Allura- “

“I want to see him- “

“All-”

“Now, Immediately. Your Princess commands it,” she rose her tone, her crystalline eyes narrowed harshly.

Shiro sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, okay, but please first calm down- “

“I’m calm!” she snapped, but she immediately winces at her tone of voice, her ears pull back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that,” she murmurs, lowering her gaze.

“It’s alright, I understand, but first things first let’s get you some transportation,”

“Transportation-”

“You still shouldn’t be on your feet, so soon. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll get you something to help get you around without hurting yourself, alright.”

“.... alright,” she concedes.

 “This feels weird, Shiro,” Allura wiggled a bit in the chair, the metal of it jingling, unsure how to feel about the wheeled apparatus, as it moved her to her destination, down the dimly lit halls.  

“It’s practical, and helpful,” he assures her.

“It…. still weird. I feel like I’m being carried in a moving cradle,” she mumbles.

“I suppose it kind of is, if you think about it that way,” he shrugs, or at least she thinks she shrugs, she can’t see him, seeing that he is the one pushing her.

* * *

Allura still finds herself massively uncomfortable as the minutes wear on. Despite the fact that she needed it least she injures herself, but she can’t help the awkwardness that seeps inside her very bones. She squirms, unable to relax. Allura consider herself to be an exceptional patience person, as any ruler should. But, she felt as if that patience that she had long honed was being tested as they turned down another dreary looking corridor.

“Shiro,” Allura lowers her shoulders, her head tips down.

“Hmm,” he peers down, but only the top of her head is visible.

“Where are we going exactly,” she attempts to crank her neck around to catch Shiro's eyes.

“The ICU,”

“What does ICU stand for,”

“Intensive Care Unit. It’s where we place patients that are in serious conditions in,”

“oh,” Allura frowns, and finds herself lost as to where to place or do with her hands, so she opts for settling them in her lap,

“He’s in pretty bad shape,” Shiro knows that’s probably not the most comforting thing to say, but he knew Allura. She wouldn’t have wanted him to sugar coat it.

“You’ve seen him,”

“I was the one who had to practically scavenge him out the Sincline, or what remained of it,” he states grimly.

“You did?” her brows shot up in surprise.

“He lost a lot blood from what I could tell, but to be honest I don’t know the true extent of the damage,”

Her fingers twist together. She swallows, feeling her midday lunch resurfacing. She wished hadn’t eaten anything at this point.

“We’re going to see Mickleson first,”

“Mickleson?” the name is strange on her tongue. As are all earth words it seems.

“He’s a doctor here at the Galaxy Garrison, and the one that treated Lotor, so he will able to give you the rundown of his injuries. Besides we need him to get us into the ICU. They just won’t let anybody walk in there,”

 

Allura can't produce any words at the moment, so she nods numbly in response.

“Though, I have to warn you...Dr.Mickleson…..is a bit on the nose,”

On the nose….Allura doesn’t quite understand what that means, or what Shiro meant by it, the wrinkle in her nose is the only indicator that he knows what she is thinking.

“...You’ll understand what I mean,” he’s voice sounds apologetic, and Allura is unsure why, until they reach their destination, then it becomes blatantly clear.

* * *

 

“Mickleson? Shiro raps his fist lightly upon the door, which quickly snaps open revealing an older man with white, disheveled hair, pushed from his bushy brows, he probably has the most bored looking expression on his face that Allura’s ever seen, but other than that he seemed normal. Well, normal by human standards anyways.

Said man holds up a palm, his ear is pressed to some cellular device, tucked in by the crook of his shoulder, he paces away from the open door, to let them in, while he snaps open a notebook scribbling something down in haste.

“Yeah, yeah, I know Marie,” his voice is low and gravelly.

“I know you told me, so,”

“No, I don’t know if were under alien invasion”

“No, they’re not small green men.”

“No. Marie.”

The man lets a deep, tired sigh before taking a glance at Allura.

“They look human enough. I have one here.”

“Seriously, if I tell you, will stop taking my ear off,”

“She’s got white hair, dark skinned, weird markings on her face, and speaks with a strange accent.” Allura pulls a face. Strange accent, what does he mean by strange accent?

“She’s a princess apparently.” he mutters. Apparently. Allura finds herself once again weirded out and turns to Shiro for help. However, said man only casts her apologetic grimace.

“I don’t know, Marie. I mean they look mammalian, however that doesn’t mean I’m going to ask her if she lays eggs, or spawns asexually.”  Allura felt blood rush to her face at the insinuation.

“Good night, Marie-no I don’t know when I’ll be home, and no it is against military policy to take pictures on base,”  

“That includes videos. Now, good night, Marie. Good night, Marie.” the man snaps his cellular device off with the flip of his phone shoving it into the pocket of his white coat, that looks faded in color, or perhaps it was just the terrible lighting of the room.

“Honestly,” he flips the notebook closed, muttering to himself. It was almost as if he forgot that they were other people in the room.  

“Mickleson,” Shiro coughs, gaining the man’s attention once more.

“Ah, Takashi,” he dips his head in acknowledgement, he glances down.

“And-” he gestures towards Allura, his words lost.

Allura straightens her back, head held high “Allura. Princess Allura of Altea,”

“I would bow, but I'm afraid I might take out my back out if I did,”

Allura presses her lips together. She was unsure if this man was being sincere in his statement. But, by the tone of his voice she doubted that. She was starting to understand what Shiro meant by his vague warning.

“So,” he continues, dryly “what do I owe the visit, and please tell me it's not to stitch anyone up. I've had my fair fill treating hostile aliens to last a life time,”

“Hostile Aliens,” Allura's lips part, she looks to Shiro, concern lacing her tired eyes.

“Ah, let's say some of our allies were giving the medical staff quite the headache,”

“Especially, that centipedal one that kept screaming in my ears about multiple realities,”

“Was anyone harmed,”

“Some bruising here and there, but don't worry, Princess, I was able intervene before anything serious happened,” he patted her shoulder tenderly. “But, in any case, no, were not here because we need someone stitched up. She wants to see Lotor-ah I mean patient 22,”

“.... you mean that one,” the man gripes, as he ruffles through his desk drawer, pulling out a strange white box, and popped out an odd-looking stick and placed it between his teeth.

“He definitely didn’t take kindly to having his injuries tended to, you would think we were trying to skin him alive the why he reacted,” the doctor files through his coat pocket and withdrew a silver box that glimmered slightly under the ceiling lights.

 

Allura once again felt her heart sinking, along with her patience. She just wanted to see him. Why was it taking, so long? And what was he doing with those strange items, she wanted to ask Shiro, but honestly couldn't find it in herself to do so.

 

He snapped opened the silver box, flicked it, producing a shallow flame that he used to light the peculiar white stick, from which came smoke.

“Uh, should you be smoking in here,” she heard Shiro ask, warily.

“I’m in my office, the ICU is back that way,” he mutters, inhaling, and puffing out a father large cloud of smoke.

“Still, it’s hospital,”

“And I need something to calm my nerves, especially after this whole bizarre freakshow you and those cadets brought along,”

“.... Your breathing fire,” Allura asks astounded.

“Never seen man smoke before,”

Allura shakes her head.

“He’s not actually breathing fire, Allura,”

“But,” she gestures, waving her hand, as if Shiro was missing the blatantly obvious “he’s breathing smoke,”

“Well, yes, but it’s not actually fire, just smoke,”

“SO, he breathes it in through that strange tube,” she asks incredulously.

“Well technically, “

“For what purpose exactly, I doubt it’s healthy to inhale it,”

“No, it isn’t,” Mickleson speaks up “But, it helps keep me sane,”

Allura’s eyes wide a fraction “It’s a drug!”

“Nicotine is addictive, So I suppose,” his shoulders rise and fall.

“But, aren’t you supposed to be treating patients, how can you be efficient when you are intoxicated on hallucinogenic,”

Mickleson narrows his dull eyes, huffing out another whiff of smoke “Nicotine isn’t a hallucinogenic, it’s addictive for sure, but it doesn’t alter one’s state of mind,”

Allura winds around to face Shiro for confirmation “He’s not intoxicated-well at least I hope,”

“I haven’t had any alcohol today-and speaking of which you owe me a drink, Takashi,”

“…. it’s seems like I’ve been owing a lot of people favors, lately,” Shiro grumbles to himself.

“Well, you did disappear for four years, and came back with an alien invasion on your tail…. forgive us for not throwing out the red carpet.”

“That’s hardly my fault- in any case,” Shiro eyes Allura, watching as her previous agitation resurfaced, her face sullen “We came here because Allura wants to see Lo-patient 22,”  

“Can it wait,”

Shiro opened his mouth to protest-

“No. It must certainly cannot!” and so long patience. “I wish to see him, please.”

“It’s certainly late,”

“I do not care, take me to him,”

The man groans. “Fine. Fine. Five minutes,”

* * *

 

 

Allura didn’t know what to expect entering this, so called ICU. It was far quieter than the other part of the infirmary. It was dimmer, and colder, and the silence that greeted her felt ominous, and unwelcoming, as they approached the room that Lotor was residing. However, whatever horrific images that her mind had, so lovingly offered her, didn’t prepare her for the sight that was provided to her.

“We managed to stabilize him, but he is still in serious critical condition,”

There are odd, clear looking tubes protruding from his nose, and lips, and a myriad of more sticking out his body. Shiro moves her closer, eyeing her with concern, as she goes still. She doesn’t need to understand or look at any these strange monitors to know that his breathing was labored, and harsh judging by the heaving of his chest. But, her worry soon descended into silent fury when she took noticed of the harsh silver bands casting his wrist, nailing him to hard looking bed.

“Why is he restrained,” her narrowed gaze snaps up to meet Mickleson’s bored ones.

“Because he attempted to take my face off,”

“Well, he’s asleep now, release him,”

“Because I’m keeping a stream of drugs in his system, even, so I’m not taking another a chance on having my face rearranged.”

She feels Shiro squeeze her shoulders, and his breathe near her ear.

“I'll talk to him,”

 Allura doesn't answer, but instead her hand moved to hovers above his one laying limply at his side, she grasps, it so gently, as if afraid she’d break something.

“Lotor….,” she squeezes tightly. Her bottom lip trembles. She swallows. His chest, and torso are a mess of white and light brown bandaging.

“What are his injuries,” she murmurs, stifling her anger towards the man, her eyes never leaving her Prince’s pained face.

“Well, he’s managed to at least break, and crack all of his ribs. Ruptured his spleen, and appendix, as well, as bruised his heart, not mention the internal bleeding we had to fix. The bruises and scrapes are certainly the least of his worries.  And he also has a heart murmur, but by the looks of it seems to have been there for quite some time,”

Allura tightens her grip. Heart murmur. Her brows knit together, for the life of herself she can't recall any instance where Lotor ever mentioned he had a heart murmur. She huffs, wondering how much more Lotor has kept hidden from her.

 

*****

 


	2. "Out with the old, in with the new"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura meets someone of Lotor's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Fixed some spelling errors!

 

* * *

 

_Allura didn’t know when everything had gone, so wrong. Everything she built had come crumbling down, the alliance, the coalition, the Galra empire, seemingly decimated in an instant. She could only watch on, horrified. As, the sparks, and metal, and pieces of her castle ship, strained and snapped, and fire engulfed the whole bay in a hellish fury. Her awareness was diming, as the mask of the perpetrator crumbled to pieces, a sound strike of her wipe, a final attempt at flight or fight, and as her eyes dimmed, and lids sunk, she caught sight of something she’d never thought she see again, markings, markings on the man’s cheeks._

_“It-It can’t be……. y-your Altean?” and like that the lights when out, with only the glimmer of green eyes, and red hair._

* * *

Allura did not like Mickleson. She found his persons absolutely dreadful to be around. Unclothed, rude and lazy. Every time she walked, or rolled, seeing that she was still confined to the silly apparatus Shiro gave her, he smelled horrendous, and made her ponder when was the last time this man considered to bathe himself. Which Allura found appalling seeing that he was a doctor.  Had he no respect for the job, the profession he worked in.

“You keep pulling a face,” usually, Shiro would accompany her to Mickleson’s office. Often to act as a buffer. However, today it seems that the fates were against her. His new, Altean arm needed some readjusting. Though, she can’t be too peeved, seeing that Slav was the one touching up his arm. She couldn’t practically see the pure horror glisten in his dark eyes. Allura could only offer her condolences to his inevitable plight.

“You smell,” Allura at this point had given up on propriety with this man.

“Well, aren’t you rude, I figured being a pretty, pink Disney princess you’d be all courtly.”

“I’m the Princess of Altea, not this Disney planet,” She restated sternly, her eyes narrowed to a cool glint.

“Whatever, I couldn’t care less what odd-backwards planet your princess of,” he muttered, the cigarette, as Allura had come to learn, rolled between his teeth.

The Altean gritted her teeth, and bite her tongue, sharply turning away.

“Just take me to see, Lotor,”

“Right, right,” he stumbles from his chair, dragging the keycard to the ICU  in his large, hairy hands, and placed them on the handles of her wheel chair. Ugh. Why did he have to be so close?

However, as they left the room, they were greeted by an unexpected visitor. Orange and white really didn’t compliment dark blue and lavender. Allura parts her lips, now that she thought about it, she had never really been properly introduced to Lotor’s former generals, unless you count the battlefield. But, that was hardly a way to make friends was it. Her and Lotor were enemies at one point. So, maybe that wasn’t, so farfetched.

Acxa, was that it. Before Allura could speak, Mickleson whipped out his disdainful tongue.

“If you need to be stitched up, or have any complaints with the food, please take it elsewhere, I’m a surgeon not a babysitter.

“….no,” her voice wavered “I-I came here to see Lotor. I heard this is where he’s being kept,” like Allura had thought a moment before, she has never been properly acquainted with Lotor’s former generals, however, she did at least recall basic personality traits. Acxa, if she remembered clearly, wasn’t this demure. Well, at least on the surface level.

“Your…Acxa, right,”

“Yes, Princess,” Their gazes met. Acxa’s unreadable, and Allura unsure. It was hardly a second before the half-galra pulled away, her eyes dart around. As if afraid of meeting her line of slight again. Allura frowns.

“Were going to go see him. Lotor.” Allura fiddles with her hair. _Well, this is certainly awkward. What exactly is she to say?_

“Well, if you’re coming along, make yourself useful, and push the princess,” he handled Allura off the other woman who, judging by the widening of her eyes, looked undoubtedly confused. Allura could only offer the poor woman a shrug of the shoulders, as they trudged off.  

A long silence dragged on, as they past myriad of rooms. Some were silent, others were loud with the moaning of the injured.

“. I-I apologize, Princess,” Acxa found her voice again “but do you mind, if ask what his injuries are. The Black paladin only offered, so much,”

“…you talked to Shiro,”

“Yes, I met him on his way out. But, like I said he only offered me vague information, only that Lotor was in critical condition.”

Allura lets a deep sigh escape her lips “…. He’s in pretty bad shape. A bruised heart, broken ribs, and ruptured organs, not to count all the blood he lost, as well,”

Allura can’t see behind her. There’s a long pause, between the steps clasping against the white, sterile floors. She’s also pretty sure that their pace has slowed a tad.

“…He got careless. The fool….” She whispers, though Allura is sure that statement is to herself than to her. But, she agrees wholeheartedly. The fool. What was he thinking to get himself to such a point? She was going to have a serious ear with him once he gains consciousness. Her heart tightens, as they finally came to his room. The halls were a bit liver, but not by much, only doctors and nurses came to and fro.

She feels the chair stop, she hears the leather strain and twist. Allura swivels her head slightly, watching Acxa’s brow rise, her eyes widen, her lips parted. Her fingers continue to wring the handles.

“…. your blocking the door,” Mickleson speaks breaking the still quiet. Still visibly shaken, Acxa nods her head mutely, before moving Allura completely inside the rather cold room.

It was freakishly small, only enough to house one bed that and three people were already crowding the space.

“You’ll be staying here all night, again, I presume,” Mickleson doesn’t turn her way, as he speaks. He does his job checking his vitals, and breathing, and all the strange instruments that Allura couldn’t even begin to read or understand. 

“Yes,”  

“and you, as well…”

“Acxa…” she slowly pushes Allura to Lotor’s side. However, she released the handles, taking small steps back. Her hospital slippers shuffling against the smooth floor.

“And your names keep getting stranger and strange by the day,” he mumbles “In any case, I’ll be back in my office” he strides, lazily towards the door.” and please, don’t call me, unless someone’s gone under cardiac arrest, even then call Angie first, she’s the night nurse,” and with that he left.

“Ugh. I do not like that man,” Acxa doesn’t reply. Not that Allura expected her to. The previous silence resurfaces with Allura keenly aware of her gaze shifting from herself to Lotor’s unconscious form. 

The princess, like much of the week that has passed, places her hand upon his. It does little to actually cover his massive palms, but she doesn’t mind as she winds, and tangles her fingers with his.

“There’s a chair over there, why don’t you take a seat- “she hoped this was a good place to start.

Acxa hesitates, her hand clasping her upper arm, feeling largely out of place. In these clothes, in this room, and with Lotor, where they were not on opposite ends of the battlefield. She started to wonder if this was a terrible idea. How would he react to seeing her again? Anger. Revulsion. Distrust. Indifference. If he woke would he lash out at her?

The half-galra woman, spins on her heel “I-I should not be here….” Her words are a notch above a whisper. Allura cocks her head, to look over her shoulder. Acxa’s back is to her, her hand limply hanging on the knob of the door.

“…. why did you help us?”  She had been meaning to ask.

“Because Haggar told us too,”

“I feel as though there is more to it.” Acxa’s hand twists the knob, the metal straining under her grip.

“I’ll listen. Sit with me. There’s a chair over in that corner,” Allura slowly returns to her gaze to Lotor’s hand, her fingers brushing his knuckles, waiting to see if her invitation would be heeded.

Another cold blast of air bursts out the vents. She shivered, wishing she had the foresight to bring something warmer to wear. 

“It’s rather cold in here,” Allura jerks-Acxa hadn’t made a single sound coming to sit by her. The Altean regards her out the corner of her eye. Her back is still as a board, her knees pressed together, shoulders tensed, her gaze forward, and her hands placed accordingly in her lap.

“Tell me about it,” Allura tires to smile, but remembers that the other woman can’t see her “You don’t have to be so rigid,” what was meant to ease tension, only made her fingers grasp and grip the fabric of her clothing.

“I- “her shoulders drop along with her head, her short blue hair falls, covering her face.

“Yes.”

“I feel as though I am making a grave mistake,” her breath shudders.

Allura lifts a brow “How, so,” her head tilts.

“…. he would not be happy to see me, again,”

“oh.”

“I-we betrayed him. Turned our backs on him” her body trembled in small waves “because of Narti-because we-we turned against him when it seemed the odds were against us. Turned on him, in  favor of an empire that despised us. Lotor took us all in, when no else would- “tears. The smell of salt hits her nose, the same time the tears hit the smooth expanse of her hands. They stream down her face, curving over her cheeks that have become a lighter shade of blue. Her claws retract, the nails release the fabric of her pants only to dig themselves into her palms. “and that is how be repair him.”

Acxa sucks in a shaking, hoarse breath. “We were supposed to the ones that prevailed against the odds, to win to no avail. Imagine that, a bunch of worthless, half-breeds doing the impossible. What a humorless joke,” she spat bitterly.

“Sendak was right. We are a bunch of untrained, unloyal mutts, always biting the hand that feeds us,” she huffs dryly.

Allura sniffed, squeezing Lotor’s hand. “Oh, what does that oversized oaf know,”

Allura earns a snort from the Galran woman, her tears slowed to a few dainty drops. The princess cracks a small smile. A small victory.

“You speak far too little of yourself,” She wondered if that was common among them. She glances towards Lotor. He needn’t speak. She understood much, that and he talks in his sleep. Fortunately, well for her, and unfortunately, for him, Lotor divulged bits and pieces of himself she knew enough that they were things, insecurities he would have never voiced consciously. She often wondered if she should tell him about his sleep-talking but feared his reaction. She didn’t want him to start closing himself off from her. Not when she worked, so hard to dig through his plethora of shields. Maybe that was selfish?

“I’m a traitor,” she murmurs.

“Relationships can be mended,”

“I doubt it.”

“Perhaps. But, I say this, I don’t think he will act the way you expect him to,”

Acxa scoffs lightly “I’m sorry, Princess, I’ve known Lotor far longer than you have.” Allura turns, her gaze hard “I know him. Lotor does not forgive.

“He cares about you, all of you,”

“Not anymore,”

“He misses all of you,”

“…h-he said that,”

“…no, not verbally.”

“…then,”

“I can tell,” she took the time to catch the half-galra’s eye, her brows rose softly “In the times that he briefly mentions you, there’s a pain of longing I see flickered in his eyes.” Allura makes a meaningful pause. Acxa’s brows press together, much like her lips, the tears on her cheeks have dried quickly due to the cold air surrounding them. Her mouth shakes, and she parts them only to clamp them shut, and averted her gaze. Her nails have relinquished the hold of her palms, and they are drips of blood that stain her orange pants.

The Air vents vibrate.

“I know I haven’t known Lotor as long as you have, but I like to think I know him enough that he dearly misses all of you,”

“…I don’t doubt your sincerity princess, but perhaps you hope to much,”

“I like to think I hope enough, Acxa.” The name was strange on her tongue, but she anticipated that maybe that it would grow familiar one day. However, for now she hoped this would be enough.

* * *

 

“That stings,” Acxa wrinkles her nose.

“Good. That means it’s working. Though, I much rather use my healing, but doing it the manual way isn’t going to hurt none. Now, please stay still,” Allura uses a thin, white cloth to dab at the blood decorated on Acxa’s palms. They were pretty deep gorges. Allura frowns at the evident self-harm, though it wasn’t consciously done. Still.

The nurse, Angie, if she recalled correctly came in to check on them a while ago, to which Allura took the opportunity to ask for anything that resembled a healing balm and bandaging. The nurse, still wary of her new guests, much like everyone was on base, happily obliged.

The healing balm, or disinfectant, as the Nurse Angie called it, was a far cry from anything she was used to, but with careful instruction from the nurse she managed. She dipped the cloth in a warm bowl of water and resumed her ministrations.  

 _This was…. this was certainly odd,_ Acxa thought to herself. Having the princess an enemy once, was before her cleaning her self-inflicted wounds. Life was quite strange. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends. And the world goes round and round.

“By the way, Acxa,” Allura starts, folding the cloth in half.

“Yes, Princess,”

“…where are the others.”

“Oh,” her expression softens “they wanted to come, but I feared that they might….” She’s lost on the word.

“Stir up commotion,”

She nods “As you know Zethrid lacks patience, and Ezor is-well Ezor. I feared that all of us going at once would start trouble, so I made the decision to go first.”

“Trust me I know that feeling all too well,” Allura laughs “My paladins are quite the merry band of troublemakers themselves.”

“Tell me about it,” she snorts “It’s been a handful keeping them both in line without Lotor and Narti,” she says gently.

Allura finishes off the last of the blood and moves to wrap the half-galra hands. Her deft fingers move in a deft rhyme.

“…. Acxa,”

“Yes, Princess,”

“I’ve been wondering,” the mirth has somewhat abated. Allura can feel the tension rise its head, as Acxa’s claws retract again. “Where’s Haggar?”

“…. She’s injured.” Acxa runs a free hand through her ruffled hair, only to wince, placing it back in her lap “It seems that her power has been severely depleted. Ezor, and Zethrid are watching her. When your Black Paladin had asked the humans to treat all the resistance members, after the battle he wasn’t specific about it. As, you know Haggar, she’s quite apt at blending into the background.”

Allura hums, as she reaches for the other woman’s hand continuing her work.

“…. That is something I must deal with,”

“I can’t say whether or not she’s a threat or not. Or whether she’s planning something.”

Allura offers her a small smile “Do not worry. I will deal with Haggar. I don’t like to ask this of you- “

“I will watch her. Closely.”

“Thank you.” The tension finally eases and dissipates. “There all done,”

Acxa rubs her hands, her gaze distant for a long moment before snapping up to the Princess.

“Princess...”

“Allura. Please just call me Allura.”

“…. Allura,” she hesitates, unsure about the informality “I wish to thank you,”

“Oh, for patching up your hand,” Allura beams, waving a dismissive hand “It was nothing, don’t think on- “

“Not that, though I appreciate the kindness,” she smiles tenderly, still peering into the Altean’s sapphire gaze “I want to thank you. For Lotor. Thank you for loving him.”

 

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Acxa/Allura bonding? I actually really like the idea of them getting along. 
> 
> Comments, and Reviews are welcomed. And thank you so much for everyone that left comments, and interest in seeing this story continued! You guys have no Idea how much that made my day! 
> 
> *dun-dun* 
> 
> Will Allura confront Haggar? Stay tuned!


	3. Out with the old, in with the new II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes change isn't always the greatest as old resentments rise up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I intended this to be a Haggar/Allura confrontation, but it didn't work out that way. But, there will be one soon.

 

* * *

“Can’t you cheer up some,” Veronica nudge his side. The bruised side, where everything’s spotted purple, black and blue.

Lance sighs and grits his teeth.

“And there it goes again,”

“Again, with what…” he mutters. He was getting real sick of hospitals lately. The food was starting give him indigestion. The itch in his cast was unbearable, and yet no would let him use a hanger to relieve the burning agony. He had to share a room with Keith, whose presence alone was irritating in it of itself. Hunk snored. Loudly. Pidge was a restless sleeping. Tossing, and turning, her mattress squeaking noisily in the dark. Romelle couldn’t stay in one place. She would get up at random times in the middle of night, doing whoever knows what. And Coran enjoyed impromptu singing, if he could call it that, at random times of the day. And worst of all, Veronica wouldn’t leave him alone. Sure, he missed her. He missed all of them. A lot. But, there was only so much teasing he could take in one day, and her and his sisters were relentless.

To catch up on lost time he supposed.

But, he wasn’t exactly feeling jovial this evening. Or at all, the euphoria of returning home hadn’t lasted long. Add dull aching to the itching, and nights and days with spotty sleep, and doctors poking and prodding at you every moment of every hour. Hola, you have a seriously crappy mood.

“Ouch!” Veronica pulled his cheek, her expression impassive.

“I’m talking to you,” her eyes narrow sharply behind the soft glimmer of her glasses.

“I know that! Why do think I’m trying to tune you out,” he jiggles his unbroken leg.

“My, my were in such a crappy mood today, aren’t we?”

“Bite me,” he grumbles.

His sister grunts before letting out a sigh.

“And why did I think fighting an intergalactic alien war would make you any less childish,”

“I’m not childish,” he mumbles.

“You’re whining,”

“Well, I can’t help it. Y’know broken leg and all,”

“Your friend Keith has bruised ribs, and you don’t see him throwing a tantrum,”

Lance clicks his tongue, grateful that Keith is knocked out cold, drool spilling from the corner of his mouth. His sister doesn’t move, as his gaze roams the room, skipping over Pidge, and Hunk and to Allura. She’s speaking to Romelle, who appears to be irate, she’s slapping her palms on the bed. He can’t hear what their saying. He watches the blonde haired Altean throw out her hands in exasperation, jerking herself away from the princess to storm back to her corner of her room, angrily throwing the curtains around her bed area. Allura heaves a sigh, turning her head, scratching her bandaged arm. Lance frowns softly.

“So, you like her,”

“What…” he cocks his head back towards his sister. Her gaze has lost its teasing edge, and instead her brows are pressed together in contemplation.

“The princess. You like her,” Lance clamps his lips together, and turns away sharply, crossing his arms.

“Ah, so you do,”  

“And why does it matter to you,”

She lifts a brow, and snorts “Forgive me for caring.” She pauses “I’ve never seen you hung up on someone, so intently,”

“…...Allura-she’s amazing. Kind, strong, pretty. I’ve never met anyone like her,”

“Well, she is an alien from a foreign world, maybe that has something to do with it,”

Lance laughs then smiles slightly before the frown from before lands back on his face.

“What’s stopping you then,”

“…...Lotor,”

“And who’s Lotor?”

“It’s complicated,”

“Try me,”

“She likes someone else,”

“I fail to see why I wouldn’t understand that,”

“I just don’t get what she sees in him,” he mutters.

“I assuming you’re talking about this Lotor you mentioned, “

“Yeah,”

“And your absolutely, sure and it’s not based off asinine misunderstanding,”

“He practically purposed to her. I was there, I saw with my own two eyes.”

“So, she’s engaged,”

“I guess,”

“What do you mean by “I guess” she either is or isn’t,”

“He was going to purpose to her, but she stopped him,”

“Then she’s not engaged,”

“She told him to ask her again……. after the battle was won,”

“And how do you know this?”

Lance stiffens.

“So, you were snooping around,”

“No!” he cringes at the loudness of his voice. His eyes darting around, regarding Allura, as she steps into the bathroom. “I simply overheard…their conversation.” Lance lowers his head, leaning back into his pillows. Why did the lights have been, so bright in here? “I wasn’t trying to spy on them,”

His sister hums thoughtfully.

“I guess it seems karma started finally knocking on your door,” she lifts herself of his bed with a creek, dusting invisible dirt off her pants.

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?” he finds her gaze passive again.

“Figure it out, yourself, lover boy,” and with that Veronica saunters out the room leaving Lance to his dull aching, and itching cast.

“Veronica!”  he’s knows very well she can hear still hear him. “Fine!” he groans throwing himself back into his pillows, wishing the soft and plushiness of it would just suffocate him.

* * *

 

Acxa didn’t know what exactly she was expecting when she had made the decision to wander the halls. It was daylight, however she found herself restless, and unable to sleep. Plus, there was only much snoring and sleep taking she could take in all the hours of the day. Not to mention, Haggar’s unfavorable attitude.

No one spoke to her; all the humans did were offer her strange looks. Sometimes of awe, sometimes of fear, and sometimes clumsily concealed disgust. She felt as though she were some kind of zoo animal. Locked behind bars, privy to the oohhs, and awes of the crowd staring at her from the other side. She’s as uncomfortable, as is it familiar. In the pits, of the Galra Empire, she was that. A zoo animal, an object, a thing for entertainment.

But, as the hours wore on, her patience for the stares had dwindled, and decided maybe it would be better to stay put. As, she turned to take the elevator back down, she had come across one dilapidated Keith, his elbow pressed against the sliding door of the lift, hanging on to dear life, and out of breath. His hair had long gone past his shoulders and appeared as though a creature had made its home in his black locks, that fringed, and split, and poked out every which way.

On the floor, were crutches of the sort collapsed upon the pristine floor.

“Need a hand,”

His head jerks up, his dark eyes wide as red creeped upon his cheeks. She tilts her head watching the crimson spread to his neck.

“Um-I”

“You look as though you’re about to pass out. Here,” she picks up his crutches, the imitation metal cool against her, as she tucks them under her arm, and uses her other hand out for him to grasp before the elevator door tries to clamp down on him with a biting vengeance.

His wide eyes peer down at her palm. Its small, he notes, wrapped in bandaging, and smelling of disinfectant. He looks up to her taken back by the casualness of the offer. Most of their previous meetings had been anything, but casual. Escaping the stomach of giant space worm. Helping each other during the middle of imperial power struggle on opposite sides of the field.

It was weird. But, as he continued to simply stare, he noticed the wavering of her gaze. Wondering if maybe she had overstepped their carefully placed bounds. Keith mentally shook himself, and slowly, but gently as possibly placed his slightly larger one in hers. He’s aware of her claws, as she wraps them around his palm, she lifts him with ease, pulling him up to full height. He hisses at the strain. His ribs burning, and taunt.

“…your ankle,” he looks down, confused before pulling a face at the sight of his swollen ankle wrapped in ice.

“My reward for trying to help, Lance to the bathroom,” he mutters, disdain in his voice, and eyes averted and narrowed.

“I see,” she remembers Zethrid’s horrid snoring, and Ezor’s sleep taking. 

“Why were you on the floor,”

His head swivels around, the red returns “I wasn’t on the floor,” he didn’t want to tell her that he lost his balance.

She quirks a brow “well, you certainly were on your way there,” she quips back. Keith bites the inside of his cheek feeling…feeling like a child caught with their grubby hand in the proverbial cookie jar-that was a bad analogy, he thought with a scowl. Maybe something akin to being a deer in the headlights. Ugh.

 “In any case, how about I assist you to wherever you’re going,”

“Why are you helping me?”

She shrugs “I can’t just leave you to crawl your way back to your room. Besides it seems we both can’t help, but help each other,”

“If I recall correctly, I should be helping you this time. You saved me back there, during the invasion,”

“Does it matter,”

It does. He wanted to say, but the words stick to his tongue like syrup.

This was weird. He didn’t know how to react. How to react to her. They were finally meeting, talking face to face without the threat of the world falling apart around them. Not fires, no stomach bile, or political disputes between them. It was just them, with his busted ribs, and throbbing ankle, and her, appearing as though she were removed out from her own skin, stripped of everything that made her alien, other than her appearance, and placed in human clothing. The orange and white, and gold really don’t suit her. It clashed to much with her dark blue skin. Black was far more flattering on her- he bites his cheek again, trying hard to keep the crimson from dusting his cheeks. He hears Pidge and Hunk laughing in his ear.

“…. how about I treat you to lunch. My treat. I still have some money left over.”

****

Once again Acxa doesn’t know what or how to feel.

“It’s past rush time, so we don’t have to worry about to many people,”

“This place is?”

“A food court, y’know like the ones at the space mall,”

Looking again, she can see the resemblance, eyeing the food stands that dot the rather massive area.

There are people here, however they are sparse much to her relief.

“I would ask you what you’d want but seeing that you’d probably don’t know what half of this stuff is, I’ll choose something normal. Uncomplicated.  I hope that’s alright”

“I’m not picky, whatever you buy is fine with me,”  

Keith nods his head.

****

It was about the strangest looking dish she’s seen. Meat, held together by two pieces of loaves with fresh vegetables in between. A burger, Keith calls it. It’s accompanied by a side dish of-fries-at least that’s what she thinks their called. The meal comes along with dipping sauces of a sort. The red one if remembered was ketch.. Ketchup? The yellow, must-mustard? And the other was white, its name being the strangest. Man-manyo-um.

“You can just call it mayo,”

“Oh,” she felt childish all of a sudden.

She’s unsure where to start. She sees no silverware. No knifes, nor forks Acxa looks up to Keith for help, but stops, her question stayed on the tip of her tongue as she watched Keith spread all three dipping sauces on his meal, and picked up his hands, taking a rather large bit. A bit of mus-mustard, and ketch stick to the corner of his mouth, as he chews.

She blinks. It’s Keith’s turn to peer up at her, his brows rose, and press together “oh, right,” he holds out the burger to emphasis his point “you eat it with your hands,”

Acxa scowls a tad. Messy, she thinks. But, she gives in, following Keith’s lead, placing the mustard, ketch, and Man-mayo onto her burger, and grasped it with two hands. Once she sunk her fangs into the bread, meat and vegetables she felt as though her tongue was one fire. It-was good! The best thing she had eaten in some time. Living off of dried portions couldn’t compare the juiciness of the meat. The sauces, though they tasted odd on their own, were entirely different mixed together. She nearly forgot her manners, as she devoured her meal.

“wow. I guess you were really hungry,” he says sheepishly between bites.

She licks her lips. Mustard and ketchup staining the corner of her mouth.

“I must admit that was best meal I’ve had in ages,” she wipes her lips with the back of her arm, a darkish tint covers her cheeks.

Keith chuckles “It was really good wasn’t it. I mean I’ve haven’t had a burger in ages.” He sighs “It’s good to be home, after all this time, even if it’s for a short time,”

* * *

 

Acxa clutched a brown bag to her chest.

“It seems I owe you, again,”

“It’s not a problem, don’t worry about it,” he leans back on the bench. His crutches laid gently on the floor. His ankle still throbbing, and his ribs still ache, but for some reason he feels lighter. Like all the weight of the world, just for a moment has relinquished his hold on him.

“It’s lovely.”

“Hmm,” he turns his head towards her. Her gaze glued to the window, and the sunset beyond it. A mixture of autumns and pinks, and light blues.

“The sunset. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen one.” She murmurs, placing her baggy of extra burgers on her side, her hands placed neatly in her lap. For, some reason the gesture reminds him of Allura.

He hums in response, cocking his head back to the sight before them. The warm of the day seeps through the windows, heating his skin. The silence between, aside of from the whispers, and soft talk of people walking back and forth. However, both half-galra pay little mind, as they were lost to the sea of their own thoughts.

Acxa was the first to speak, stepping through the river of silence “Keith?”

“Yeah,” he glances at her profile, her dark blue hair just as unruly, and tangled as his. It rakes over her one eye. It’s as if it’s deliberate, purposeful, as if she were hiding from him. She’s leaning forward. Her small hands planted on the edge of the bench.

“Are you staying, will you stay here back on your planet,”

He shakes his head “There’s still a war going on, with Shiro back as the Black paladin, and Allura no longer one, means I’m back with Red, and along with my work with the Blade of Mamora, its hardly a time for retirement….and what about you, Acxa what are you going to do?”

What are you going to do? It’s such a strange question, and one that’s she’s never been well acquainted with. Her life has been doing nothing, but other’s biding. She didn’t choose to be gladiator, but she did choose to follow Lotor. And she also made the choice to betray him. And through that, she ended back where she started bending to someone else’s will. She never needed to know what she was going to do, it’s always been set out for her long before she reached that path.

And now, with the Galra empire, and the coalition in shambles. What was she to do? Her companions came to mind. Lotor. Haggar. Her fates are still very much intertwined with theirs, however unknown to where or how all that will turn out.

“…...I don’t know.” Her shoulders slump “I guess it’s something I ever gave much thought too,” her voice wavers. It’s been doing that a lot lately, now that she thought about it.

Keith doesn’t speak immediately, but she feels the bench squeak. She doesn’t have to move her head, to feel him. He’s close. Closer than they ever been. There’s a hand and before she knows it her curtain of navy hair is being pushed from her face. His knuckles brush her cheek, scorching her skin. She feels both hot and cold. She turns her head, their noses nearly met. His hand is trembling, and her breath like her voice is wavering. His eyes are lidded, while hers shimmer under the dark dust of the sunset completely over the horizon.

There’s an abysmal churning of her stomach. His dark eyes intense, yet a sadness reigns in them. She doesn’t know what compels her, what compels him. There’s a hesitant brush of his lips, cool to the touch, much like hers. He pulls back an inch, his gaze searching. Her fingers fall into his, pulling his hand, and tangling them together.

It’s firmer this time, her lips angle and press against his. It’s awkward, horribly awkward. She’s never been much of a kisser, or one for intimacy outside her own crew. And Keith feels like a small child all over again, learning how to walk for the first time. He’s unsure, as Acxa opens her mouth to him. His tongue slides over hers. It’s weird he thinks, but not unpleasant, as they feel each other out. As they feel all this out. It’s slow, and patient. And they both taste like honey mustard and ketchup, with a dash of mayo. It’s certainly a combination, Keith thinks, as they part to exhale, only to find themselves together. Their holding tighter and their slow, hesitant paces picks up, and teeth, and fangs click against each other. He feels her claws again, reminding him of her heritage, reminding him of his heritage and how they’ve both been thrown in the metaphorical boat together. He bits her bottom lip, and she squeezes his hand. He laps the bruise as quickly as he made it, and she returns the favor drawing a lick of blood with her fangs. He hardly cares that he tastes iron on his tongue, not when her mouth is hot, and hoarse against his.

They pull apart again, panting heavily, their lips bruising black, with dashes of dark purple. It seems perhaps they are more Galra than they realize, and yet there is no shame.

“Wow,” Keith says, without a lack for any better word.

“hhmm,” Acxa hums, her face falls to his shoulder, breathing in his scent of musk, sweat.

There both a mess. Healing from broken bones, and internal injuries. She doesn’t remember the last time she’s bathe. She stunk of medical apparatuses, and disinfectant.

“I’m pretty sure those burgers are cold, now,”

She can’t help the smile that presses against the crook of his neck.

* * *

 

“Allura.”

“Lance.”

“Um, where’s your chair,”

“I don’t need it, I think it’s time for me start walking on my own,”

“Where are you going- “

“too see, Lotor,” and just like that Lance feels his mood sour. Allura can feel it in waves. The green of jealousy imprinted on his face. She frowns remembering what her mice had told her that day. She runs a hand through her hair, she whimpers slightly, accidently snagging a knot. She pulls her fingers away, they fall to her side. She bits her lip, her eyes trained on the door, her feet pivot in place, unsure. She swallows. _Out with the old in with the new_. It was phrase her mother used to use when she did her yearly spring cleaning. And by cleaning the whole castle was purged from the very top to the very bottom. When she had asked her why she went through all the trouble of ridding the castle with junk, things that were no longer needed.

Her mother, Queen Melenor, responded “How would you be able to bring in new things, if all the old has taken up every bit of space,”

A double meaning, she now understands.  

She takes a step back from the door, approaching Lance’s bedside to sit on the edge. Her slippers dangle from her toes.

“Lance,” he looks to her, the envy still present, yet there’s unmistakable emotion underneath all that, she doesn’t want to address. She’s never been one to step down from confrontation. But, that with enemies, dignitaries, that’s easy enough. However, it’s seems much harder when it comes to friends.

She reaches out her hand placing it on top his. For Lance sparks burn under his nerves.

“Lance, we need to talk,” and with that the sparks falter.

“About what,” he’s not exactly sure about what it is she wanted to talk about, but he had a suspicion.

“About..about us,” Lance feels his heart starting to sink, as if it couldn’t sink any lower at this point. He doesn’t answer, as he watches Allura avert her gaze to their joined hands. Hers resting on his. Surface level, hardly too intimate.

“I know-I know that you have feelings for me. The mice told me,” her gaze is still averted, and she can feel Lance stiffen under her touch.

“Lance. I honestly don’t know what to say, but I’m faltered that you feel that way, that you think that way about me. However, I’m afraid I do not feel the same way; therefore, I cannot return what you feel. I’m dearly sorry.” She pauses, Lance still doesn’t response. “I do hope we can stay friends,” she says softly. There out with the old, in with the new, her mother’s voice rings in her ear.

Finally, she peers up, not knowing what to expect. She wished she didn’t.  

There’s hurt, a plethora of hurt in his eyes. He snatches his hand away. The guilt, is like acid in her belly, eating away at her stomach lining.  

“So…that’s it,”

“…. what else are you expecting me to say,”

“I don’t know,” he mutters. “So, it’s Lotor then,” he states bitterly.

“Your unfair to him,” Allura frowns.

“I don’t get what you see in him, Allura,” he looks to her.

“Plenty. And you could see it to if you stop wasting so much of your time berating and being envious of him,”

Lance looks away again “okay, maybe there are some good things about him,” he starts.

“There’s a lot of good about him,”

“Y’know he was our enemy at one point,”

“he’s our ally now,”

“oh, and let’s not forget that he lied to you about your people. The whole thing about the mining colony,”

Allura freezes, the heart murmur comes to mind “and what would there be to tell? Yes, he lied about the truth of the mining colony he governed. That there were Alteans hiding among the natives there, but what would there be to tell.” She restates again “Zarkon found out, and annihilated them, and exiled his own son.”

Her mind goes back to the Altean that destroyed her ship, red hair, and green eyes.

“I know he lied, but he did, so with good reason,”

“You had the right to know,”

“He was just trying to protect me, I don’t agree with the way he went about it, but I understand why he did what he did,”

“and that just begs the question, what else is he hiding. If He can lie about something that big, what else could he being keeping in his closet?”

_The heart murmur._

_He’s 10,000 years old. Such a long time. It makes her wonder. But, that was between her and Lotor._

“Lance this is getting petty,”

“Well, excuse me for being concerned,” Allura feels a prick of anger lick her insides.

“If you were really concerned, you wouldn’t be acting this way,” she didn’t mean to rise her voice, but Lance’s childish, immature attitude was starting to become tiresome. She was tired. She just wanted this stop.

“I am concerned,”

“Then stop acting like a brat,” she spat.

“So, I’m a brat, now,” Lance grimaces.

“Why are you being like this! I know you can be petulant, but this is positively ridiculous. I thought you better than this,”  

“You don’t know me any better than you know Lotor,” that’s it, she stood up. Out with old, in with the new, and Lance was right about to go sailing out that closed window if he continued.

“Pardon me, what does that exactly mean,” her ears are pulled back.

“Why is it,” he pulls himself up “- I was by your side longer than Lotor, and yet you always pushed me away, and then prince charming just waltzes in, public enemy no. 1 and suddenly your all goo-goo eyes over him.”

Allura scoffs loudly “Are you serious! How can you say that to me, when your so-called affections for me go straight out the window the moment another woman walks in through the door.”

“You kept rejecting me!”

“And with good reason! Look at the way your acting, Lance! Not just now, long before that. I’ve tolerated your petty jealously up until now, in the hopes you’d grow up, and move past it but, it seems that I was wrong,” and with that she storms out, slamming the door behind her. He flinches as the sound as it echoes off the walls.

There’s a distinct sound of someone saying something, or was it the television he doesn’t know, nor care at this point, his eyes glued to the closed door. A blatant metaphor, personified before him.

****

The lab is cold, the air cools the back of his neck, he hums touching his nape, as he descends the stairs. The place smells of pure quintessence, it burns his nose, making him feel quite drunk. But, he ignores it, he long used to the affects.

“Aife.” He calls, his voice warm, and rich. Her back is to him.

“My Lord,” her tone weary, as she turns, and bows sharply before his tall frame.

“How’s are little project coming along,”

“It’s-it’s not proceeding the way, I would have liked. The quintessence isn’t reacting the way it should. I do not know why,”

“This is taking far too long,”

“I’m sorry, My Lord, but I cannot for the life of me figure this out- “

“I’ve given you plenty of time. Your running out.” He doesn’t snap, it’s more a very low husk.

“If only we had Princes- “

“DO not!” he hissed, his green eyes narrowed, the yellow in them flares, the woman backs away, her back hitting the consul, eyes spilt wide. “Do not say that name. Princess Allura has lost the right to her title, she is little more than scum, along with that mongrel who likes to pretend that he’s one of us. Remember that, Aife,” he reaches out an armored hand, his knuckles tracing her cheek, and her amber markings that kiss them “Please do remember that, love.”

Her voice trembles “Y-yes, Lord Bandor,”

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Acxa and Keith just skip the slow-burn and jumped right into it. 
> 
> But, yeah, I made Bandor the villain, which is a concept I find for more interesting then him being the wide eyed innocent boy, who's only purpose in the story is to get fridged.


	4. "Retribution"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This more a flashback chapter, so heads up folks! 
> 
> In other words a chapter where Hunk and Pidge roast Lance alive.

 

 

* * *

Lotor allows his eyes to fall shut, as he feels Allura fingers run through his silver locks. She treads carefully, strand by strand. A comb is added next, running, and untangling the knots that have found their way into his scalp.

She’s humming, her voice like honey, sweet and warm against his ear. His ear twitch trying to follow her words. It’s Altean that’s what he knows for certain, but he is unfamiliar with the words.

_A ‘níon mhín ó, sin anall na fir shúirí. A mháithair mhín ó, cuir na roithléan go dtí mé. Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach. Dúlamán na farraige, ‘s é b’fhearr a bhí in Éirinn .Tá cosa dubha dubailte ar an dúlamán gaelach. Tá dhá chluais mhaol ar an dúlamán gaelach._

“May ask what you are singing, Princess”

“ _Dúlamán, it’s an old Altean folk song,_ mother, use to sing it to me all the time when I was little girl. Honestly, I’m more surprised that I remember all the words,” 

“I didn’t know you can sing,”

She laughs shyly “I’m not all that great, “she murmurs. He can practically see marron paint her cheeks “truly, but mother was an excellent singer, her voice was like that of harp. She once told me if it weren’t for her royal heritage she had dreamed up being a traveling filí,”

“A bard? That is correct, Princess,”

“Correct,” she takes to weaving a small braid down the back of his hair.

“Now, that I think about it,” he rubs his chin, thoughtfully “during my exploits for Altean history, I found very little of Queen Melenor, other than the fact that she was the wife of King Alfor,”

The tying stopped. Lotor has a sudden urge to kick himself. Perhaps he had brought up something he shouldn’t have, but the braiding continued, deft, and delicate.

“……Mother-my mother, Queen Melenor didn’t do very much, not out of irresponsibility, but because her body was weak. she was born a sickly child, and she remained that way most of her life. She did what she could. It’s the reason why I was an only child. There…from what I was told many complications when my mother was pregnant with me, giving birth was far too much strain on her body, so my mother and father thought it best to not have any more children.”

Lotor hums lost in thought as he listened closely. “Finished. I think I got all dirt out. Though, I rather think you look rather nice in braids” she picks a few pieces of foliage out of his soft hair that were leftover, tossing them to the floor.

They were both lounged in the living quarters, however, the other paladins, nor Coran were in sight. It was just the two of them, unwinding from a rather grueling mission. Sendak wasn’t joking when he said he was going to annihilate both the coalition and those loyal to Lotor. He wasn’t holding back his punches, not that anyone was expecting him, too. But, still, it felt as though every chance they got to breath, another distress signal or call for help was sent their way. Everyone was on high alert on a consistent basis.

So, a well-deserved evening of resting was in order-well, resting as in licking their wounds. Lotor had some pretty nasty bruises around his mid-section that spilled outside the realms of his flight suit that were visible to the eye. And now, that Allura thought about it, this was the first time she had seem up close without his usual amour. His suit was a one piece, like hers, as well as being black in color, and cut at his shoulders. It was odd seeing him like this, his arms, and feet bare. It was strangely intimate, and close. She felt a fire course through her belly.

As, she mused, and without a word, Lotor moves around Allura.

“What are you doing,” her eyes follow his movement, curious

“Returning the favor of course,”

“Oh,” she turns her head back around, pressing her hands in her lap self-consciously. She feels his hands slide into her curls, slowly, cautiously.

“Would you like the comb,” he smiles, but shakes his head.

“I much rather use my hands, if you don’t mind, Princess,”

“O-oh, of course not, do what you like,” the inside of her mouth tastes suddenly sweet from the blood pooling into her cheeks. Oh, when did she start acting so-so girly. It’s ludicrous, silly. But, she can’t help the goose bumps, and the flutters of her heart, and leaping of her stomach. He’s so close, she reminds herself. His fingers tread through her ivory curls with such a tenderness that it nearly makes her melt.

“It seems you’ve gathered an array of foliage in your hair, Allura,” she also likes the why he says her name.  Never has anyone saying her given name feel, so sweet to her ear. He continued on working, and they sat in complete silence for a while.

“So, do the Galra have any types of music, poetry?”

“Hmm, yes, however they are far different from Altean ones. Galra literature consists of rather short epics, and ballads. And when I mean short, I don’t exaggerate,” He smiles, when he hears her giggle.

“Hhm, it seems that my tasked is completed,” he hums a bit nonchalantly, as if he were disappointed.  She mourns the contact, but quickly cures that, by being a bit more daring. She moves closer, leaning completely back, her shoulders press against his firm chest.

 

Her skin is cool to the touch.

“Ah, your warm,” how, prosperous he thinks, if he can feel the coolness of her skin, so can she feel the warmth of his.

“Galra are hot-blooded,”

Allura pouts. “That’s absolutely unfair,”

He chuckles “Cold, princess,” he plants his chin on her shoulder, and runs his hands down her arms. Allura shudders at the touch, goose flesh trails up her bare arms like fire.

“Too forward,” he murmurs in her ear. She can feel his claws graze her. It tickles.

She shakes her head, biting her lip. “Don’t stop,” she nearly begs. She liked this. His warmth, being cradled in his arms. He didn’t want this to stop, nor end. She sighs soft, feeling the heat creep back to her body. It’s enough that it makes her toes curl.

“What’s an example,”  

“hmmm,” he drawls lazily, his lips still near the precipice of her ear. His breath, like his skin is scorching hot.

“Tell me something in Galran,”

He stops and contemplates, his mind searching. 

“He came by the river to gaze. And upon meeting the ripples, there he met sapphire eyes,”

Allura quirks a brow, her head tilting up, meeting Lotor’s rather assumed gaze “What else,”

“That is all,”

Her lips twist a frown “That was short,”

“We, Galra believe in the notion that words are cheap,” her brows screw together. Well, that certainly odd coming from someone who prided himself in being a great orator. Lotor was fond of words, and talk, but then again maybe he had a point. Sometimes talk was cheap given the context and the circumstance of the situation.

“I find that hard for you to believe that,”

“Hmm, words are cheap,” his chin in still upon her shoulder, but his usual mirth has somewhat faded into a rather passive expression. His eyebrows lined together, and his lips set in a thin line. It was hard to understand what went through his thoughts, whenever he appeared like this. He turns his head, some strands of his hair fall against his cheek, but from this angle she couldn’t see what face he was making.

“At times I do believe they are,” he says. There’s something that carries over in his voice that she can’t pinpoint or discern. The want to ask is there on the tip of her tongue-

“Princess!” Coran came stumbling into the room, worry marred on his wrinkled face, however that soon melts away once he begins to process the position both Allura and Emperor Lotor are in. Allura scooches back into the Lotor’s chest, her cheeks bleeding bright red, her lip caught between her teeth, and eyes wide. Lotor looks unamused, yet he doesn’t bother budging. Allura not sure if Lotor lacks the feeling of embarrassment being caught in such an intimate pose, or he simply just didn’t care. Allura was going to go on a limb and assume it’s both.

“H-hello, Coran- “she clears her throat “Is there something wrong,” she pressed her knees into her chest.

“Um-ha,” Coran shakes his head “There’s an emergency beacon coming this way,”

Her embarrassment instantly washes away along with Lotor’s passivity. Lotor is the first to move, helping Allura on the way to her feet

“Do you know who it’s from,” he asks.

“A Galra ship, it seems, However, I’m not sure it’s from Sendak’s, or yours Prince Lotor,” 

Allura nods “Coran, can you get the rest of the paladins, we’ll head to the bridge,”

“Right on it, Princess,” and with that he dashes from the room with incredible speed.

A moment passes-

“You weren’t embarrassed,” she asks, incredulously.

He only quirks a brow, tilting his head “Why would I, I enjoy your company, Allura. There’s no reason for me, or you for that matter to feel any shame in it,” he says it with such intensity that it causes another wave of pink to course to her cheeks.

“I-um-we should be heading towards the bridge, now,” she has nothing to counter with that. She thought it best to get to work. Personal affairs can wait for the time being, and it would give her time to cool the fire burning in her face.

* * *

 

“Ow! What was that for,” Lance spins in his chair, to glare at his offenders.

“Cheer up, Lance,” Pidge chastises, flicking another rubber band his way. He dodges it this time, his scowl still evident. 

“Man, I can feel your negative energy all the way over here,” Hunk mumbles.

“I’m not in a bad mood. I’m-I’m just thinking,”

“About what,”

“About things your plebian brain couldn’t handle,” he crosses his arms, sticking his nose in the air.

Hunk and Pidge eye each other with lifted brows before refocusing their gazes back on him “rrrigghtt,”

“…I mean you’re just mad cause Shiro dragged you out the living area,”

“I am not!” he huffs.

“…. I mean. Come on, Hunk, I guess we can let up a little. He’s still heartbroken over Allura,”

“Yeah, I guess your, right,” Hunk rubs the back of his neck, sheepishly.

“Heartbroken,” Lance snorts “Who’s heartbroken,” he mutters.

“uh, you,”

“It was a rhetorical question, Hunk, you don’t answer it,”

“I know what a rhetorical question is, Lance,”

“Ugh! Then don’t answer,”

“I didn’t even know it was supposed to be,” the teen shrugs.

Pidge losing interest in the subject in hand returns to tinkering with her data pad.

A palpable silence follows.

“…. What does she see in him anyways,” he slides down in his chair.

“You mean, Lotor?”

“No, Hunk I was talking about Shiro, of course I meant Lotor. Ugh, I just don’t get it. What’s he got that I don’t,”

“Well, he’s an Emperor for starters,” Hunk offers, lift in his fingers.

“Yeah, I mean what girl would past that up,” Pidge adds.

“Please don’t tell me you find, Lotor attractive?” Lance quirks his lip in distaste.

“I mean I’m not attracted to him personally, but you can’t deny that he’s been blessed by the Altean gods with good looks. The aristocratic nose, the chiseled cheek bones, body built like a Greek god, tall, lush, silky locks that look like white satin,”

“With way you talk about him, what don’t you marry him, Pidge,”

“Who says I want, too. I just know attractive person when I see one,” she shrugs.

“I know this maybe weird and all, but I sometimes wonder if his hair, is as silky as it looks,” Hunk picks at his own hair. Wondering he maybe he should grow out his. Now, that he thought about, maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea.

“You’d think he let us touch his hair, if we ask,”

“You guys can’t be serious,” Lance was at a loss for words, baffled, betrayed by his own friends.

“Hey, just stating an observation,” 

“I-whatever, you guys still haven’t answer my question,”

“I think we already have,”

“So, what I’m not attractive,”

“Yeah, if Allura wants a wet dog,”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, man, but when it comes to looks, Lotor outranks you. Not that you aren’t attractive or anything, but- mean you know what I mean…...” hunk trails off, for a lack of anything better to say that wouldn’t offend the other boy.

“Yeah, and he’s got that voice, too,” Pidge points out.

“Yeah, it’s like super smooth and silky and stuff,”

“So-so it’s looks that I lack. Come on, Allura’s not that shallow,” Lance found it hard to believe that it was just solely looks. It can’t be, but maybe if was just lust then by he still had a chance.

“Of course, we not just saying it’s all looks,”

“Then what else is there,”

“Allura’s royalty, you’re not,”

Lance felt his brow twitch.

“Lotor’s got power, and a whole empire,”

“He’s probably like super rich, too, oh and they’re both Altean,”

“Zarkon and Allura’s dad were friends once, so they’ve got a family history.”

“They’re both diplomatic and y’know into politics, so they understand all that complicated stuff together,”

“and they’re total history nuts, too,”

“and reading, and researching, and alchemy and all that mysterious Altean magic,” 

“I think it’s safe to say they’ve got a whole bunch of things in common,”

“and not mention maturity,” Shiro suddenly appeared behind him, looking quite sweaty and out of breath. He plants his hand on the teen’s shoulder “And mutual attraction in also a key factor, Lance,” the older man pats his shoulder, moving away from his side.

“Yeah, and that,”

Lance stops. “So-so, your telling me I don’t have a shot,”

“Are you deaf, or do you simply have selective hearing,” Pidge was starting to feel annoyed. What was Lance not getting?

“No.no I’ve heard everything clearly,”

“Then what are you missing,”

“You don’t think, Allura could never look at me differently,”

“Look, Lance, I’m not trying to break your heart or anything, but you’ve never had a chance to begin with,”

“Just because Lotor just suddenly wanted to be on our side,”

“Even, if Lotor never joined the coalition, you still never had a shot. I think Allura’s made it blatantly clear she doesn’t like you like that. Your just too stubborn to see it,”

“Dude, you need to let it go, it’s just not going to happen,” Hunk crosses his arm, shaky his head lightly.

“Hunk and Pidge are right, Lance. You can’t force love because you want it to happen,” Shiro spoke once again. Though, it kind of felt like he was putting the nails into the coffin.

“But- but,” His friends could only offer up apologetic glances. Lance swivels his chair away, placing his elbows on the desk, and letting his head slump in the middle with a hard thud.

“……you think maybe we were a bit too harsh on him,” hunk whispers, concern edging in his tone.

“Well, it’s about time he starts getting that through his thick skull or he’s in for a rude awakening,” Pidge mutters back.

“Paladins!” Coran rushes in through the sliding door “your needed on the bridge,”

“Another attack,” Shiro’s already packing into gear, mentally preparing himself for another raid.

“No, it’s distress beacon,”

“Do you know who it’s from,”

“Can’t’ tell, all we know that it’s Galran, from Sendak or Lotor, haven’t the faintest clue,”

“Alright, team, let’s get into gear,” Pidge, Hunk follow, hastily, while Lance sluggishly trails behind.

“Move it, Lance!” Shiro calls from the front.

“Yeah…yeah, I’m coming,”

* * *

 

“Princess,”

“Paladins you’re here, just in time,” Lance takes note of the closeness between the former prince, and Allura. It makes his stomach, and twist. He averts his gaze, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Do you know from who the distress beacon is coming from,” Shiro asks, ready to know the facts.

“It’s from one of my fleets,” Lotor explains coolly “However, we can’t seem to send out any transmission, more than likely they’re communications are down,”

“So, it’s a rescue mission then,” Hunk questions.

“I’m not entirely sure, we have nothing to go by other than they are in quadrant not far from here, so it is best to be prepared for anything,”

“…since we did you start giving the orders around here,” Lotor pre-usual ignores him, while Allura sends a rather heated glare in his direction. He feels Pidge dig her elbow in his ribs. He hisses between clenched teeth.

“Lance, knock it off,” Shiro snaps, sternly. “If you can’t focus, then you’ll stay on the side lines,”

Lance says nothing.

“All right, Paladins you heard, Lotor, stay sharp,”

 

* * *

 Despite, the advice to stay sharp, no one was quite prepared for the sight that was bestowed upon them. A whole fleet of ships annihilated. Metal, and shrapnel was everywhere, there wasn’t a single ship in one piece, yet the stranger part was that there were no bodies to be found in the rubble. Everyone held their breath, as their lions toured the area, Lotor went further head in the Sincline.  

“Lotor,” Allura breathed.

“Still no bodies?”

She shakes her head. “you,”

“none,” there’s an edge to his voice, but this one was different from the one from earlier. This one she could pinpoint, it was unease. They all were. There was something not right about this. There was something amiss, and eerie, even.

“Paladins, anything on your side,”

“Nope,”

“No,”

“Nothing, here,”

“It’s all just ship parts and space,”

“Coran?”

“Transmissions are clear, Princess. I can’t detect anything out of the ordinary,”

That doesn’t’ help the pit forming in her stomach at all, as her eyes keep wandering. She was beginning to lose hope until she spotted something, it was ship, and it was intact

“Paladins! Lotor! I found a ship, and it’s still intact, I’m sending you the coordinates,”

 

* * *

 “Is anybody getting an Aliens vibe from this,” Lance asked, he could stop the tremble in his hands. The ship was empty with the lights flickering. Everyone kept close with Allura in the lead, Shiro flanking her right, and Lotor on her left. Pidge and Hunk took the middle with Lance in the back. They all moved in small steps, eyes darting back and forth, no corner went unturned.

“You don’t think xenomorphs really exists, do you, cause if they did that really sucks, and were all doomed.” If Lance was trembling, Hunk was downright petrified, his brow was caked in sweat.

“Well, there are giant space worms, and super Altean space magic, if that can exist than anything can,” Pidge offered. “Though, I definitely prefer gigantic space worms to things that impregnate you with their young, so they can burst out your chest,” Pidge shuddered.

“What are you guys taking about,” Allura tried to ignore their conversation, but couldn’t help it, she hadn’t the faintest clue what they were speaking of. “And what’s a- xenomorph?”

“It’s just a movie, Allura,” Shiro reassures her “It’s not real,”

“You don’t know that, Shiro,” Pidge chimes in, almost offended.

“Your description seems awfully familiar,” Lotor spoke, the first time since they’ve entered the ship.

“It’s just a movie, Lotor,” Shiro hoped the emperor wouldn’t take what they said to heart, then again, he’s not sure if he even knows what a movie is.

“Ah, I remember, it was on a primitive planet I visited once.”

“Uh, what,”

“They were cannibalistic tribe of people who feasted on the old and sick, often using their bodies to lay their eggs in their chest cavities. Needless to say, I didn’t stay long, after learning that fact,” Lotor omitted the fact they were quite interested in having him and his generals as a meal, as well. He’d never hear the end of it from the Blue paladin.

Allura appeared horrified at the notion, Shiro pulled a face of disgust.

“Well, that’s certainly nice to know, Lotor” Pidge deadpanned.

“Thanks for adding fuel to our nightmares,” Hunk mumbled, after her.

“My insomnia is cured,” Lance shouts in mocked glee.

“If your all rendered sleepless due to one measly description, imagine having the liberty of seeing it in person,” this time he didn’t hold back a grimace.

“We’ll, pass,”

“The main bridge is up this way,” Lotor announces “Everyone on guard,” As they inched closer, Lotor picked up on a sound. His ear twitched, listening closely, it was heavy breathing. But, he could only her one. His unease was returning. Allura hesitated, her hand hovering over the door pad. She looks to Shiro, then to Lotor nodding her head. With bayards in hand, and ready to strike if necessary, everybody held their breath and braced themselves, as the door slide open far too fast.

Allura steps in her whip ready. No one. The bridge is heavily damaged, metal panels splintered, the consuls and dashboards sparking and sizzling. Some of the walls are either scorched or dented. Lotor is puzzled he was certain there was heavy breathing coming from this room.

“Team spread out,”

The quiet seems too much to bare. No one speaks a word, as they inspect the bridge, careful to avoid the popping electricity.

“Hey, guys over, here!” Pidge shouts to the top of her lungs. Everybody rushes towards the direction of her voice. A body. A breathing body upon closer inspection. His amour is heavily damaged, especially the front, it looks as if it had been smashed in. Chips of Amory and blood mingled together. Lotor is quick to his side. His careful, lifting his head. There’s crimson caked on his lips, and eyes are shaky, yet somehow distant.

“...E-emperor Lotor,”

“Your name solider,” his tone is stern, yet holds unusual softness to it.

“Provak, Sir,” his chest heaves.

“what has happened, here,”

“It came out of nowhere.” He sputters “They came out of nowhere. W-we couldn’t stop them-everything was gone in instant-they took them-took them all,”

“Who took them? Sendak?”

“No-no, I don’t know-their ships were unfamiliar. But, the leader-the leader he wore all black, and his- helmet- with horns-he-he left me to deliver a message to you, Emperor,”

Lotor narrowed his gaze.

“H-he told me-he said that-tell that half-breed mongrel, that the time is neigh, the legacy of Zarkon and all those who bare the misfortune of having Galran blood running through their veins will soon met total retribution.”

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys, so, so much for the awesome comments and reviews!!!!


	5. "Aftermath"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The male ego is a interesting thing, and accompanied that with a one-sided crush-well-you know the drill.

_Keith rubbed his eyes, but quickly stopped once he realized that it just made them burn all the more. He huffs, indignant and tired. His nose also itches completely unused to the various flora growing and flittering about them. Kosmos was more than happy, trailing through the endless forest of green, popping in and out of space around him, panting excitedly._

_“Keith, keep focused,”_

_“I know-It’s just-we’ve been at this forever- “a branch smacks him right in the center of his face, he groans. He can hear his mother chuckle lowly, and Kosmos whine, winding around him in concern._

_“Watch for the branches,”_

_“Yeah, thanks for the warning,” he muttered, rubbing the area of his face that was now bleating red._

_“We’ve been here forever, whatever signal we were receiving could have been a false alarm,”_

_“Perhaps- “Krolia stops in her tracks bringing a hand to her chin “But, until further evidence we cannot stop,” he trudges onward with Keith in tow._

_“And how do we- “his chest bumps into his mother’s forearm-mother, that was still taking getting use to-_

_“Krolia, what is it,” his murmurs softy._

_“Listen,” she whispers. Her ears twitch. There’s water. Running water, it sounds like someone’s splashing in it. Krolia moves, slow, taking her time to move the foliage in front of her without a sound, her ears are pinned back, lips pressed. The path they take leads to a small river, but that isn’t what caught their attention, their eyes lingered over the hunched form of a girl with blonde hair and pastel colored clothing._

_She hunched over and was obviously washing something in the river’s gentle currents. She swayed and hummed, unaware of her surroundings. Keith eyed his mother, puzzled, she returned the sentiment._

_“Um,” Keith spoke. The girl’s pointed ears perked up, immediately she jerks, swiveling her head- her eyes blown wide._

_“Galra!” she screamed, jumping back onto her feet, her laundry forgotten, her fingers grasping for her chest. Her whole body shook, as she tried to back away._

_“Wait,” Krolia spoke, rising both her hands “We come in peace. We mean you no harm,”_

_“As if, your Galra! You know nothing of peace,” she spat venomously._

_Keith strides forward, taking his mother’s side, mimicking her gesture-_

_“Your face!” he all but blurted._

_Her hands slowly, shakily rise to caress her cheek, her gaze narrowed “W-what about my face,”_

_“Those marks! Your Altean!” he gapes in astonishment. Another Altean? Could there be more! Allura would certainly be happy to hear about this._

_“And what of it! You’re with Lotor aren’t you!” she hissed, she took another step back, her feet submerging in the river’s cool waters.  “You’ve come to finish what Lotor started!”_

_“Pardon,” Krolia quirked a brow._

_“Lotor? What about Prince Lotor. You know him?” Keith lowered his hands slightly. Her brows furrowed._

_“So, you don’t work for him- “_

_“We were sent here by the Blade of Mamora. We have no ties to the Galra Empire,” Krolia states calmly. “We came because we had found a large signal of quintessence in this area,’_

_“I- “_

_“Your saying that Lotor’s been here?”_

_“He’s the one that established this colony,”_

_“Colony?”_

_“Yes, there’s two actually” The girl started to calm, her hands sliding down her chest. Her gaze softens “This is-well was a Altean Colony,” she sighs sadly “I’m the only one left here, everyone else is-is gone,”_

_“You mean you’re telling me that there are more Alteans,”_

_“Like I said were-Lotor took them to the second Colony-and-and I haven’t seen any of them since,” she murmurs quietly, her gaze falls to the ground, wrapping her arms around herself. Krolia eyes her blankly, her arms finally lowered to her side, Keith follows suit, crossing his arms over his chest._

_“What do you mean by Lotor taking them,”_

_The venom in her eyes return, she snatches her head away, rage quivered throughout her body, as her fist clench tightly “I was born long after Altea’s destruction, in order to save ourselves my people, hid among the locals, or on planets not many had much interest in. However, we were barely surviving, hardly getting by-until one day a Galra cruiser came and-“she pauses, her face twisting in a ugly manner  “He told us he was half-Altean, that he was one of use, and that he could help us, and protect us from Zarkon’s wrath. So, we listened, and he relocated us here, as discreetly as possible. And for a while, everything was safe, and we prospered, we had food and clothing, we were no longer hiding in shame, but could live freely and happily. That is-until-until the second colony happened. He wanted volunteers for a top-secret project he was working on, and because Lotor was basically like a god to us, we listened without hesitation-but then the people that left never came back. And when asked, he told us that they were “serving their empire” and soon enough little by little people were disappearing, rumors about the second colony spread. And when people started to refuse to go, once chosen, Lotor used force, and soon enough our lives were back to living and hiding and scraping just to get by. I’m-I’m the only one left. I have no idea what happened the rest of my people, or what happened to Lotor,”_

_Her words settled in the air, thickly._

_“I can’t believe it!” Keith hissed “After, all that talk about peace, he di- “_

_Keith didn’t finish that sentiment, as his mother spoke “Do you know the whereabouts of this second colony,”_

_“Krolia! We need to warn the others. Allura needs- “her hand drops to his shoulder._

_“Temper, Keith,” Her eyes pressed forward, stern, focused._

_“Do you- um, “_

_“Romelle. And yes,” the girl turned on her heel “You see that moon overhead, that’s where it is. Unfortunately, we had no ships here, nor do I know how to fly one, so I haven’t been able to investigate for myself,” she sighed._

_“Well, you’re just in luck, Romelle,”_

* * *

 

 To say that everyone, minus Allura and Coran were horrified was an understatement. It was Enchilada night, and after that whole creepy ordeal everyone needed to sit down and recollect their nerves, and thoughts. Allura had one simple rule at the dinner table: No politics or discussions of war. It was something her mother use to do to keep up morale and give everyone a reprieve to merely breathe. But, that wasn't why they were horrified, or even the issue at hand.

  What was appalling was how much hot sauce Lotor was adding to his plate, not to mention he already stuffed a couple habaneros into his Enchiladas, and had already eaten 8 plates of it, and is now working on his 9th with no end in sight.

“......didn't know Lotor was a stress eater,” Hunk whispered over to Pidge, cupping his hand to her ear, so that the whole table doesn't hear. Pidge, glanced at him, before returning to her drink. Taking, occasional sips all the while her eyes never leaving the spectacle before her.

“.... his mouth must be on fire. I can't even eat one habanero without feeling like someone lit my tongue on fire.” she murmurs back, as they watched Lotor finish off his last plate. His face was passive, undaunted, it was as if he weren’t there.

“.... I mean I enjoy a little kick to my food but isn’t this going a bit overboard. Do you think he realizes or do Galra have a high tolerance for spice?”

Pidge shrugs “...all I know is that he's not going to have any more taste buds if he keeps it up,”

“...or burn a hole through his stomach,”

“Do you have anymore,” Lotor spoke. Pidge and Hunk flinched, jumping away from each other. They hoped Lotor hadn’t heard any of that. Now, that they were really looking at him he looked flushed in the face. Hunk couldn't be sure, but it appeared as though he was sweating. But, it was hard to tell with the bright lights bearing down on the dining room table.

“I’ve only got Jalapenos left,”

“Then it will suffice,”

“uh, here dude,” Hunk passed him the jar. Sliding it across the table with a skid. And before Hunk could ask why, seeing that his plate was empty, Lotor, slips the lid off, plucking out one of the peppers and places it, whole into his mouth.

Hunk could practically feel his tongue cringe back into his throat. Pidge winced, Shiro rose a brow, giving Allura a glance of concern out the corner of his eyes. while Lance glowered over his cup of milk, sipping from it angrily.

And he continued to eat them, his expression of complete disinterest never changing.

“Is it me, or are you sweating up a storm,” It was Coran, who decided to voice his own opinion on the matter.

“I am quite fine,” he said with an edge of finality, that was noticeable to everyone else at the table, except Coran himself, who continued merrily.

 

“Surely you jest, Prince Lotor, your sweating like you've stuffed been stuffed head first into oversized oven.” he twirls his mustache “Honestly, you remind me of Allura during her early days-”

Allura stiffens. Her fork hanging limp from her lips, as were eyes widen.

“Coran.” her fork slips from her mouth.

“You should have seen her, the little tyke, she'd sweat, so much you'd think she had the slippers,”

“Coran!” she turned to crank her head, which was hard to do seeing that Lotor sat between looking as if he were in incredible pain, judging by the twitch in his brow. Allura frowns up at him, trying to catch his eye. But, his gaze is set forward, and pain that was clearly marked on his face had all but vanished.

“Come, on Allura that's not the most embarrassing thing you've done,” Pidge teases “you did shoot milkshake out your nose that one time,”

“T-hat was an accident! It was Hunk's fault. He had me laugh at the wrong time,” her face was heating crimson. She leans back into her seat, slumping. OH, she wallows, her eyes falling to her half-eaten plate. What must Lotor think? She bites the inside of her mouth, puffing out her cheeks in mortification.

Lance remained oddly silent throughout the whole exchange. Watching Allura wither due to the burning of embarrassment. She's cute when she blushes, with her ears pinned back. His heart hammered. It soon stilled, as he regarded her gaze that slid up to peer up at Lotor. He gritted his teeth. The creep couldn't even spare the effort to acknowledge her. It was obvious that Allura was trying to get his attention and he wasn't even trying-Lotor blinks, the cloud in his eye clearing. He turned his head slightly back towards Allura. Her fingers were discreetly tugging his longer ones that were carefully placed on the table. His thumb kneads them tenderly. They don't talk, just touch. Their eyes elsewhere, pretending as if they weren't being all gross and sappy, like they weren't communicating in silence, speaking in a language only known to them.

Of all the times he berated and felt annoyed with Keith in tow. He now dearly wished he were back. And that Lotor stayed the villain he was, not here flirting with Allura, and her returning the attention. Not him touching her, and Allura returning his affections, with a bright smile, or soft beam of her sapphire gaze. At least Keith didn't flirt with Allura, or touch her, or felt anything, but friendship for her. Matt, though he barely knew the guy, would have been a better replacement, despite his obvious attraction to her. Lance hardly considered him a treat. Who would go for a nerd like him, no offense Pidge he murmured internally, as if she could hear his train of thought.

But, what Lance didn't like the most-

Was that Lotor sat there acting as if he had known her forever. Even, though _he_ had known her longer. He wanted to say better. But, Allura always seemed to keep a distance, not in a cold way, or in the same aloofness that is reminiscent of mullet. But in a way where she didn't confide her deepest worries. In a way where she was afraid of laying out her burdens to anyone.

Lance wanted to be that for her. Be the shoulder she could cry on, the shoulder she could find strength in, or find comfort. He waited and waited hoping Allura would finally see him and take his offer.

 

But, that place was soon taken, stolen, the rug slipped right from under him by some elegant, well-spoken prince ripped right out a fairy tale book. Not that he looked the part. What little girl would want some freaky purple alien with freaky yellow eyes, and a creepy demeanor.

 

When Lotor first joined, he didn't know what to expect. No one did.  Allura and him kept, well Allura did keep a professional distance, like she did most political allies.

 

But, then one trip to Haggar’s lair, and a Disney vacation to an unknown magical land and suddenly the tides have turned. And suddenly, she's taking his arm, and listening to his advice on intergalactic politics, and having ongoing discussions of Altean super magic. And suddenly Lance realizes that Allura has a thing for nerds. And Perhaps, Matt was a potential threat after all, and perhaps Lance had dodged a carefully concealed bullet in the long run.

 

Lance freaked. Everything was being flipped on its had again. Shiro went missing. Had to change lions. Keith becomes leader. Allura becomes a Paladin. Shiro comes back, Keith leaves, and Lotor comes and makes himself at home in his place. And now, prince charming seems to want to take more than he should, stealing Allura's time and attention. She was their princess first, and now he acts as if owns her, taking her to hidden lairs and libraries.

 

And his world continues to sink- because no one else is bothered by their closeness.

 

When standing together he watched on in horror as Allura scooted closer to Lotor's taller frame.

 

He nearly fainted when he saw Lotor press his lips to the back of her palm. And hurled when Allura smiled down shyly. She didn't wretch her hand away. She always did it to him when he tried.

 

He dodged one bullet, but totally missed the one that shot right above his head.

 

Why was Lotor different? Why was she acting like he wasn't once an enemy? Like he wasn't part of an empire responsible for thousands and thousands of years of tyranny. Why is she just-just looking past that? Even, the others were becoming lax about him.

 

His teeth clicked against his fork watching, as Lotor picked up her hand, guided her tiny fingers that were dwarfed by his, and pressed his lips again to the back of her palm. No one blinks or pauses to notice. Everyone continues on with their adamant chatter that's deafening his ears.  His lips trail her knuckles, and each individual finger.

 

Allura doesn't pull away. Though, it seems she wants to, but clearly not out of distaste. He was pretty sure that if he were to place a hand to her face, her skin would feel like malting magma to the touch.

 

She bites her lip, as Lotor sends her a smug grin, and lift of his brow, before burying his face in the underside of her hand. He half expected Coran to throw a fuss, but he was too busy chatting away with Shiro. Hunk and Pidge did notice the intimacy, but they only kept themselves, snorting and whispering something he couldn't hear.

 

Lance turns away, feeling blindsided. Like he had stared for too long into the sun. Or had somehow ended up in an episode of the twilight zone.

 

The alien that came dinner-working title.

* * *

 Lotor felt his eye twitch. His stomach burned. The paladins weren’t joking when they said those peppers were spicy. But, he didn't let it show, as he worked.

Black armor and horned helmet. Black armor and horned helmet. His eyes danced and paraded through his many, many catalogs, nothing surfaced of anything remotely like what Povark had mentioned. He had researched and studied culture, after culture, but never had he come across said black armor and horned helmet. He wipes his tongue across his teeth. His mouth is numb, and his tongue stings.

His stomach burns.

No leads. Just oceans of information that he had looked over thousands of times, and data that he knew like the back of his hand. He wondered if Allura was having any more luck on her side. Hopefully. He sighs through his nose.

He's pretty sure his lower intestines are forming knots.

He's was once again devoid of his heavy armory, dressed in his flight suit, boots and skirt with his hair tied from his face courtesy of his princess. She said it was to keep his hair from his face, but he suspected it was because she liked how he looked in it. Though, he doubted she would admit it, if he confronted her about it. He smirked slightly, it did give him material to tease her with.

“Ugh!”

His smirk faltered. He almost forgot. The Red Paladin was also in the room with him.

“Have you found anything yet,” he spoke in tone Lotor found mildly obnoxious.

“If I did we wouldn't still be here,”

Lance let out another loud, bothersome groan. Which Lotor was starting to suspect he was doing it on purpose. For someone who has part of the universe's fate upon his shoulders he was certainly childish. The Green Paladin who by his impression was younger had far more sense of maturity then this so-called protector of the universe.

“Can't you work faster,”

“Information gathering requires patience and meticulousness, hastiness will not produce the desired results,”

“Why can't you speak like a normal person,”

“I do not understand your insinuation.” Lotor pauses turned to face Lance only for him to be greeted by the latter’s back. Lance is skimming through another large book, rifling through the pages with disinterest before slamming it closed. Lotor grimaces at the action. He heaves a sigh, mulling why Allura thought this a good idea, as Lance yanked another book from his shelf with little care or thought.

 

“You sound pretentious with all the can nots and the do nots, and the may I princesses. Jeez, no one talks like that anymore.” he mutters, shifting through the pages of some hardcover tome before slapping it onto one of the sleek, silver tables.

 

Lotor added ignorance to the ever-growing list.

“Perhaps, that is not how your people speak. But, it is the way of the high court. And the way of my people. It is what I have been taught. That does not make me more or less normal as you say,” he pauses, then continues-

 

“Besides, does not Allura, your princess speak in such a similar manner. Do you think her pretentious?”

 

“Yeah, well it's different with Allura.” he mumbles.

 

“How, so,”

 

Lotor took another mental note, scribbling down hypocrisy onto the long list of reasons why he did not like the current Red Paladin.

 

“Well, she's not you for starters. She sounds cute that way, you don't, you sound like some stuffy college professor,”

 

Lotor hadn't the faintest idea what a college was. He knew what a professor was, So, his best conclusion was that it was a sort of schooling facility. It piqued his curiosity, but he wasn't about to inquire Lance about the intricacies of his culture.

 

He heard Lance shifting through his personal library, chucking out books, tomes, and data thoughtlessly. Lotor felt his brow twitch., and his stomach pull.

 

Allura had insisted he come along to help. he wasn't in the mood to argue. Now he felt he should stood his ground as Lance tosses another one of his rather ancient scrolls onto the table he was residing by with a careless slap. It of course rolled of the pile he already amassed, dropping to the floor, unraveling itself.

 

Lotor felt his blood boil. For he remembered it to be accumulation of ancient Altean poetry. He snapped off his data pad, stood quickly. Lance nearly jumped, meandering away, slowly as Lotor stormed past him to pick up his scroll, recoiling it with deft, and careful fingers.

 

“Do,” he looks at him pointedly “you realize how old this is,”

 

“Um-I’m going to guess hundreds,”

 

“Thousands of years old!” he spat. “It is a priceless relic that must be handled with the utmost care,” he slid it back into its proper place “All of these are priceless relics that survived my father's watchful eye. I have kept them here, protecting them from the sands of time. Can you not afford them with a sense of respect?”

 

“Geez, alright so sorry for infringing on his royal nerdiness,” Lance grumbled cramming his hands into his pockets.

 

 Lotor thought of Allura, and her smiling face, it did little to placate him, but it was nice reminder. he drew a sigh through his nostrils, exhaled sharply, ignoring another twist of pain.

 

“Have you no respect for the past,” Lotor quickly went to gather the rest of his books, putting them back into their rightful places. He wondered briefly what any these had anything to do with his search. Most them were recounts of Galra history. A time long before his own family's dynasty came to take the throne for themselves. He doubted anything of significance laid in any of these pages………….

 

“Who cares it's the past. It already happened, if you ask me it’s overrated. Past this, past that. I'm a man who prefers to live in the moment, not getting worked about what psychopathic nut job did what,”

 

“I cannot believe that you are paladin of Voltron.”

 

“Hey, now, listen here pal-”

 

“No. You listen to me. I have tried to put up with your petulance, and childishness. And you have done nothing but repay my efforts by testing my patience with your inability to cooperate. Have I not earned your trust?”

 

“Yeah, I trust you about as far as I can throw red. Which is to say I don't trust you one tiny bit,”

 

“Is your contempt truly of my trustworthiness, because believe me I do insist that I have earned my right by now.” Lance wanted to add yeah, right, you nearly axsphiated us, by filling Allura’s head with secret magical nonsense. Carrying them off on some desolate wild goose chase in the middle of nowhere.

 

“Boy, you really like to hear yourself talk,”

 

“Or is this about Allura and your obvious infatuation with her,”

 

“I-what-” Lance clears his throat “Say what now,” marron paints his cheeks down to his neck. The cuffs of his jacket suddenly became uncomfortably itchy.

 

“I know enough to place the pieces together. Then again it is blatant to everyone. If it was meant to be a secret than you have failed quite spectacularly,”

 

“I-” Lance hesitated. Y'know what he was getting sick of this. Sick of him. Sick of everyone ignoring him. Sick of goo-goo eyes and longing glances. Sick of him ruining everything.

 

“Yeah, I do. I like Allura,” Lotor didn’t move to say anything only eyed him impassively “There! I said it, so what are you going to do about it,”

 

Lotor arched a brow. _Is that supposed to be an attempt at a challenge?_

 

“Nothing,”

 

He sputters “nothing-what do you mean nothing! Don't tell you brought this up for no reason at all,”

 

“I brought it up to question your sincerity on your inability to trust me. And it seems to me you feel threatened by my closeness to Allura,”

 

“Because you keep taking her away from us,”

 

“and how am I doing that?”

 

“Taking her to weird places for starters,”

 

“I fail to see how taking her to ancestral homeland is somehow an offence,”  

 

“Yeah, well after that, that's when you two started acting all weird towards each other,”

 

“So, you envy me,”

 

“Why would I want to be jealous of you,” As if Lotor had anything Lance wanted.

 

“You covet the closeness I have with Allura,”

 

“I-I care about her, and I don't trust you-maybe I should be questioning your intentions towards the princess,”

 

Lotor clamps hard on the side of his cheek, he savors the pain it inflicts upon himself. He doesn’t know why the statement suddenly infuriates him. Who is he to question his intentions towards Allura. He isn’t her father, if there was any one who, in his mind, had the right to question him, it would be Coran. The man was pretty much her second father. He would answer to him, if he must. He had absolutely zero obligation to some envious adolescent that was supposed to be her companion.  But, for whatever reason, perhaps it was pain, or his patience finally losing its footing, he hadn’t a clue-so, he opened his mouth-

“I am…. I am fond of Allura, in fact I am very fond of her,” It was an abrupt load off his chest. Suddenly, it felt easier to breath despite the thick tension filling the air. He found there and now that it was no use beating around the bush or delaying the inevitable. He might as well lay out his intentions front and center, regardless of whether or not Lance deserved it or not.

Lance pries his hands out of his pockets. He fists them, fingers clenched as tightly, as his brows press together “.... You don't deserve her,” he hissed “Allura’s too kind, and sweet, and awesome for you,”

 

“That is up to Allura to decide whether I am worthy of her affection or not. You do not speak for her,”

“Why can't you back off, and go back to your ruling your empire,” Lance felt his voice crack. Was he shaking?

“You continue to astound me by your ignorance,”

“Allura deserves someone that's going to be there for her, going to listen to her, and understand her,”

And what do you understand, Lotor hissed to himself, his annoyance irritating his belly. It was twisting hard, he bit his flesh harder, but it was like a black hole had opened within his stomach lining. He continues chews the inside of his cheek.

“and you're that person?” he questions, incredulous.

“I-well-I could be. I want to be,”

“The princess might beg to differ,”

“Excuse me,”

“The princess isn't quite fond of your incessant advances,” he said a little louder than what he intended, however, he would not regret his words.

Lance parts his mouth before twisting his lips closed.

“Again, I am simply stating an observation,” Lotor said coolly, pondering how anyone could be so impossibly blind. Or probably self-serving, seeing as the boy could not see what was plainly in front of him. He had observed Allura duck and dismiss his romantic gestures frequently, he thought the paladin would finally get the message.

_“You seem uncomfortable,”_

_“Huh, oh,” she twists her fingers together. They were standing on a rather large podium, surrounded by races of all kind. Dance, music, talk all mingled together in a loud roar in their ears._

_“The Red Paladin,” he nods in his general direction, but frowns up finding him adamantly flirting with a woman of a race unknown to him. Black hair, green eyes, and two horns protruding from her head. Her expression static, arms crossed._

_“He's rather…. how do I say infatuated with you,” He use that term loosely? His hands are clasped behind his back._

_She hums, tilting her head. Her earrings jingle at the motion._

_“You find it unflattering,”_

_“A bit,”_

_“Why not tell him,”_

_“I don't want to hurt his feelings,” Lotor looked back to Lance, watching, slightly amused as the strange woman doused him in red liquid, and stomped off with a flick of her obsidian tresses. The Green and Yellow paladins were taking obvious humor from the spectacle, while, Shiro hands the teen a towel to dry himself._

_“If I may speak out of turn, Princess,”_

_She peers up to him “Allura, Lotor, and yes you may. Please you don’t have to walk eggshells around me, we’re friends.” Lotor felt a delightful ache blossom in his chest._

_“His feelings shouldn't be held above your own comfort,”_

_He feels her shift her weight, tapping her foot against the stone pavement._

_“…. I don't know. I've never had to deal with this before. I'm just afraid of causing strife within the team,”_

_“Do you love him,”_

_“As family, I do,”_

_“Then if that's the case, he needs to respect your feelings. If he cannot, it his burden to bare, not yours,”_

_“I-I know. It's just- I'm not ready to deal with it just yet.” her shoulders fell, as if an invisible weight was loaded onto her shoulders. Lotor felt bothered-annoyed-he couldn't pinpoint the feeling. He supposed the feeling was closely related to being angry on another's behalf. Allura had enough on her plate as is, and her teammate was selfishly bearing his romantic interest above her wellbeing._

_“…. does that make me a coward,” she’s gazing up at him, faint glimmer of guilt shone? He scoffed internally at the notion. Allura a coward? She was anything, but-_

_“Of course not.” he admonished quickly “But, trust me princess, things such as that, should be dealt with sooner rather than later.” he places a hand on her small shoulder, his thoughts flash to his generals. He mentally shakes himself, the pain still fresh._

_She smiles, tucking a strand of ivory hair behind her ear. “I'll take your advice in consideration,” she looks away. Lance is yelling at a still mirthful Hunk and Pidge “and Lotor-” her voice hesitates._

_“Yes, Allura,”_

_“Thank you for listening, I-I appreciate it,” she says it in a way that appears as if no one had ever thought to ask how she felt. A cool lividity heats his blood, but otherwise kept his expression blank._

_“Your much welcomed, Allura,” he whispers to her tenderly._

 

 

However, that cold lividity is slowly rising its ugly head. But, he’ll give credit where credit is due, Lance had a way of crawling and digging underneath his skin.

“I care about, Allura,”

“You care only of your own self-interest,” he tastes blood. Crimson rolls on his tongue.

“I do not!”

He clicks his fangs.

“I do not deny that you, to a certain extent care for Allura, However, I will not overlook your obvious selfishness in the matter concerning her feelings,”

“I care-”

“If you did you would stop pressing your affections onto her, knowing that she does not return the sentiment,”

“And what happened to letting Allura speak for herself!” Lance all but bellowed.

Lotor gritted his teeth. His stomach hurt-This was exactly, the kind of situation he wanted to avoid. He had no liking for the red paladin, and there hasn’t been any time or moment where Lance had changed his opinion on him. And knowing the extent to which the paladin was attached to Allura, no matter how shallow, and self-serving he found it, he dearly wanted to divert confrontation. He didn’t trust himself to keep his temper, and he didn’t want to add to Allura’s already increasing pile of stress. He wasn’t a petty man, if you include Throk, but Lotor prided himself into being above those such as Lance. He dealt with that kind of strife all his life. Those that purposely started fights to goad him. He learned the hard way never to be baited. He enough scars to prove it.

Lotor rolled his shoulders. He swiveled on his heel, his back turned.  For a brief second, the only sound was the click of his boots against the metallic floors.

“……I am not. I'm just telling you what you, yourself fail to see,” he refused to rise the timber of his voice. He stayed steady, unflinching, unmoved. “In any case, we cannot seem to work in any kind of harmony. I do not like you,” he let the sentiment settle in the air, wanting to make his point clear. Lance’s gaze widens a fraction, but ultimately doesn’t seem all to surprise by the revelation.

 “and I fail to understand what Allura sees in you to put in such trust. But, that is her business not mine, however, I am able to put personal feelings aside, you on the other hand can’t seem to do, so”

Lance parts his lips to speak, Lotor immediately cuts him off “Leave. I have no use for un-cooperation,”

“I-Fine, whatever you want prince charming,” Lance digs his fists back into his pockets. Lotor doesn’t bother to watch him leave, or look over his shoulder-

“There you guys are!” It was the yellow paladin, appearing out of breath, and all, but tumbling into his personal library “Man, everything looks the same here. I can’t tell left from right, or right from left, or north to south-uh-hum anyways, um I came to tell Lotor that his other generals just got here-Allura’s greeting them…”

“I will be there in a moment,” A sigh rumbles quietly in his chest. His research will have to wait. First, things first he needed to redress.

*******

_Krolia couldn’t help but feel as though she were missing something. Something was off. She watched Keith stare in horror at the spectacle if you could call it that, in front of them. The cold, wrinkled, bodies caked tight in metallic tubes._

_“So, this is the so-called peace, Lotor was aiming to achieve, man and to think I saved his life,” Keith squeezed his fists. He bites the inside of his cheek, harshly._

_Krolia couldn’t say that she was horrified, she’d seen sights if not, but equally worse. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the place. It had been abandon for quite some time. The computers that were left were down, and the data scrambled beyond comprehension. A thick layer of dust and debris covered the place. It looked as if hadn’t been in operation for many, many years judging by the roots that have cracked through the walls and floors, and the small animals that have made their homes inside. If Lotor had been responsible for this, she found it suspicion that he had just leave it like this._

_She didn’t know Lotor personally, but all accounts of him made it clear, he was not one to take risks, or draw unwanted attention to himself. He was cold, he was calculating, and precise. He wasn’t in the habit of leaving trails. This-this completely negates any of the information they had on him. Something wasn’t right, her gut screamed. The scent of salt caught her nostrils, her eyes darted around only for them to fall onto Romelle’s quaking form. She was kneeling upon the floor, her head hunched over, and her fingers clutched at her chest. Her tears ran from her eyes, down to the tip of elegant nose, where they fell to the floor._

_“I’msorryi’msorryi’msorryi’msorryi’msorryi’msorry,” her voice was barely audible, as she murmured over and over again._

_“Hey, it’s not your fault, you didn’t know,” Keith attempted to comfort the girl, but his endeavor at sympathy went unnoticed, as the Altean girl kept muttering to herself. Keith stole an uncomfortable glance to his mother, who remained entirely impassive._

_“We should probably take her back to the ship,” he responds with a nod._

_“Hey-um, Romelle, I think it’s time to leave-come on,” he guides her back to her feet, shouldering her shuddering form. As he leads her away from the horrific sight, he noticed that his mother wasn’t following._

_“Mom,” her ears perked up._

_“Go. I’ll catch up,”_

_“O-okay,”_

 

_Something wasn’t right._

_“Kosmos! No! Don’t eat that, you have no idea what that is!” Keith admonished harshly, over the crackling of the fire. The wolf only whined in response to the rebuke._

_Krolia tapped her fingers against the crook of her elbow. She had one leg crossed over the other, she sighed, she couldn’t help, but fidget. She felt restless, the more and more she went over what had transpired._

_Something wasn’t right._

_She bit her tongue, discreetly, and out the corner of her gaze she eyes the small Altean woman hunched into ball next to her. She hadn’t said a word since they returned back to the first colony. The girl kept rocking back and forth, occasionally she would stop to look over her shoulders, or peer around the camp fire before resuming her previous position. Krolia could hear her heart thumping loudly against her ribcage in rapid session. She could smell the sweat plastered to back of her neck, the girl reeked of something else. But, she couldn’t put her finger on what it is, for she was unfamiliar with the scent._

_Alteans. Colonies. Lotor. Why would Lotor be draining them of their quintessence? What did he hope to gain from this barbaric act? And that brings up a myriad of other questions as well. The prince had always advocated against pointless barbarisms, allowing the planets he conquered to govern themselves. It was clear the colony was old, but how old she hadn’t a clue. Maybe this was failed experiment? But, an experiment for what-_

_Romelle suddenly jumped up, her back rigid, her breathe hitched._

_“Um-You alright,” Keith, perturbed by the suddenness of her demeanor._

_“Bathroom!” she yelped, but red caught her cheeks “I -um bathroom, need to-um go,” she sprinted off, into the darkness of the forest without another word._

_“Do you want to take Kosmos with you!” Keith shouted, but Romelle didn’t answer, as she disappeared from sight._

 

******

_Romelle frantically searched around before taking a long, deep breath. Galra, why were two Galra here? This wasn’t part of her mission. It was supposed to be Voltron to receive the signal-not-the Blades. She rolled her bottom lip under her teeth. What to do, what to do? She rolled up her sleeve up, revealing her communicator, silver, and shining brightly under the moon’s light._

_She pressed the call button, her fingers quivering, as well as the whole of her body. Time ticked away, as the communicator rang, she hoped they wouldn’t hear, or come to find her-_

_“Romelle.” Her eyes brighten at the sight of him. Sitting strong, and composed, his fingers intertwined in front of him, his black armor ominous, yet acted as a beacon of hope._

_“Brother!” she exclaimed, her heart racing in her chest._

_“Has Voltron arrived, so quickly,” he lifted a brow._

_Romelle frowned “Bandor, something terribly wrong has happened,”_

_“What?” he narrowed his gaze._

_“It seems Voltron didn’t received the transmission, someone else has shown up,”_

_He leans forward, there’s a subtle stiffness in his shoulders “Who,”_

_“Two Galra?”_

_“Galra,” he says incredulously._

_“Well, one of them is definitely Galra, I'm not sure about the other, he doesn't look it, but he definitely smells like one, but the distressing part is that their Blades._

_“Blades? Blades of Mamora, hhmmm,” he taps his chin “Are they’re familiar with Lotor-”_

_“Yes, they are Apparently” she says weakly, she bites her lip, as a moment of silence falls over them. She watches her brother tilt his head away from view of the screen._

_“Afie, dear, can you turn on the cameras,” he murmurs, calmly over his shoulder._

_“Right away, Lord Bandor,” she hears the older woman respond enthusiastically._

_“Ah!” Her brother’s lovely pale green eyes widen a fraction “Romelle, dear sister, perhaps our plan hasn't been entirely thwarted,”_

_“What do you mean, Bandor,”_

_“The odd looking Galra, he was a member of voltron,”_

_“But, he's-he's a Blade of Mamora,”_

_“From our Intel, he left,” her brother rubbed his chin thoughtfully “this was not the intended result, but still it could work in our favour,”_

_“What-what am I to do next, brother,”_

_“Nothing. Stay close with them, until further orders,”_

_“R-right,” she responded meekly._

_“My dear sister, you seem distracted,” her ears drooped “Airell, Ailill, Maeveen, Mabon, Pwyll, Perth,” the names came in quiet succession of each other, it stung her lips as she spoke them, remembering their shriveled corpses, and contorted faces._

_“Yes, but remember they martyr themselves for a greater cause,”_

_“But, to use their-”_

_“It is war, Romelle. We must use any available tactic given to us, no matter how unsavory. Stand strong little sister. Retribution will be met, and Altea will rise again from the ashes,”_

_Romelle wiped away stray tears with back of her palm “Right, For Altea!” she whispered._

_“Until I call again,” he nods._

_“Take care, Bandor,”_

_“I will,” the screen sizzles and dissolves, finding her once again the cold dark. Nightlife chirps in the background, and the wind rustles the leaves._

_“For Altea,” she whispers, the trees the only witness to her soft murmurings._

*******

  


 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the read, and all the wonderful comments, and kudos! Thank you!
> 
>  A/N: I switched Romelle and Bandor's ages.
> 
> Edit: I will delete hateful comments. I won't answer them or tolerate them. Please if you have nothing, nice to say don't say it at all. I don't care if you don't like my story, I don't understand why your reading it if you dislike it so much. 
> 
> Other than that thanks for those that have been kind and respectful.
> 
> On another note, I know Lance is kind of being a butt in this fic, but don't worry, it's not going to be like that forever.


	6. "Old friends, same faces"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some people aren't what they appear to be, things aren't always summed up in black and white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Pidge, Lance, and Hunk are 18 in this.

When Lotor leaves to his private quarters to redress, the pain in his stomach is unbearable. It’s a seething ache that’s constant and unforgiving, it’s enough agony that it would make one drop to their knees.

He didn’t let it show. The enlightening pain. Temperance of one’s own suffering. He pulls open a draw, the insides rattle, as he reaches for embodied box of gold and obsidian. He unclasps it, within it cushioned in white cloth were two gold earrings. He stares at them longer than he probably should, memories many unwanted filters through his thoughts. He shakes his head, the motion causing further upset to his stomach. He removes them, slowly taking his time to clasp them in place. It’s an odd sensation, but a welcomed one.

*******

 Allura rocked back and forth on her heels, her hands, fingers joined in the front.

Oh, where is he? She had sent Hunk to inform him that his generals had arrived. But, there was absolutely not head or hide of them. Allura bit her lip, annoyed and nervous. She supposed she would have be the one to greet them, as she laid in wait at the docking bay. She wasn’t sure what to expect. Nor did she know any names, or what they looked like. She wondered if she was being to promiscuous, taking Lotor’s duties into own hands, while he was absence. She also wondered if the generals would be less enthusiastic that a Altean-former enemy would be greeting them-but before her thoughts boarded onto a far more unsavory road, metal grinding against metal hit her eardrums. The main ship’s A.I informing that one of the approaching ships had docked successfully. Allura waited with baited breath, as the ship in view was a small sleek cruiser with a half-naked women graffiti painted on it-

Allura blinked, eyeing the “artwork” with wide eyes. Scandalized.

Well, that’s new. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Galra ship this…...decorative. She wondered briefly if that, the half-naked sultry Galra woman was against military protocol. The door to the ship opened with a hiss, but the next sound that greeted her was a fit of maniacal laughter, and before she knew it, it was followed by a rather large Galra man suddenly invading her personal space. She quickly took a step back, the wind leaving her lungs in quick succession, her lips pressed, as she eyed him up and down.

He was Lotor’s height, however, while Lotor was lean in built, the Galra standing before was a bit burlier. And his face far more board, and gruffer. And like Lotor he had pupils, instead of voids of amber. He wore traditional Galran amour, but It was mostly hidden under loose, dark flowing garments, along with his cape that fluttered behind him. However, what particularly stood out about him was the odd-looking helmet that adorn his head, and the strange crest that kept his cape in place. It was gold much like his sclera, but the crest was nothing she ever seen before.

_A family crest_ _?_

“Allo, you must be the pretty little Altean princess I've been hearin’ all about.” He spoke in a rather odd accent. One that she’s never heard until now.

Allura parts her lips to speak, only for said man to lean over, and snatch one of her joined hands, and planted a delicate kiss to her knuckles. Allura immediately feels the walls closing in around her. The only people that had never pressed their lips to the back of her hand was her father, and Lotor. But, what truly baffled her was that it was unexpected. She expected scorn, distrust, open hostility-

Even, leaning over, he still towers above her. He rubs his chin, with his other hand, as he eyes her with his amber gaze. She takes note of the long white tresses that fold over his shoulders, as well as the decorative braids, and the dark beads that are embellish his tresses.

“My, my, Lotor wasn’ kiddin when he said that you were tiny,” _Lotor talked about her to his generals?_

“Um,” Allura mildly shrinks back, not sure how to process the sudden invasion of personal space- she was supposed to receiving, unfortunately, Allura finds herself with her tongued tied in knots. Her mind is racing with proper greetings, _Hello, I’m Princess Allura of Altea, it is a pleasure to meet you. Speak, Allura speak!_ She’s screaming at herself, internally ripping strands of ivory hair from her scalp.

A noise does roll of her tongue as she parts her lips, but it was hardly a word, it was like a mixture between an um and gasp, like an engine stalling.

“Lotor sure knows how to pic em, you're quite the exotic beauty.” Allura isn’t sure whether to offense to that- “General Cossack at your service” he places his fist to his chest in typical Galra fashion.

“Cossack, knock it off! I know you’re in the habit of philandering with taken woman, however, I hope you’d be bright enough not to try and woo our Emperor's consort.”

WHAT!? Consort?! Allura feels her ears burn all a sudden, she feels less overwhelmed, and more like a sea creature out of water, gaping for air.

Cossack releases her hand and takes a respectful step back, grumbling to himself, while he crosses his arms.

“Oh, come on Yorak,” he drawls “I'm just greetin her, ain’t no shame in that,”

Yorak snorts “We both know you can't resist a pair pretty eyes,” he mutters.

Allura feels self-conscious as she re-folds her hands in front of herself. Having her looks openly talked about in front of her made her feel a bit vain, and girlish. She swallows thickly before mentally shaking herself. Perhaps she should have kept her paladin armor, and her hair tidy up in her usual bun. But, she had forgone her armory in favor of her flight suit and styled her hair in a long ponytail that hangs down her back. Fluttering about with each rock of her heels. She wondered briefly if it was drawing undue attention to herself.

 _Well, too late, now._ She clears her throat, gathering her courage.

“Greetings,” she speaks loud enough to capture both men's attention “I'm well aware, you both seem to know who I am; however, I don’t think we’ve ever met.” Now, that she had spoken it, she had come across many Galra generals during their time, however she had never come across either of them, nor had she never heard of the name Cossack.

“Ah, yes,” Yorak clears his throat. It’s there and then Allura notices that he looks eerily similar to Sendak, only a bit smaller in height, though he's still a good two heads taller than Cossack. His hair is longer brushing his shoulders in fact, he has both eyes, and no mechanical arms.

“I am General Yorak, it is a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, Princess Allura of Altea in the flesh. It is truly an honor,” he bows, a fist to his heart “I know it’s forth coming, but I find you quite the inspiration, if I might add,”

“O-oh. Really,” well, that was a shocker.

“In fact, you have been quite the inspiration for many Galra,” Her lips dropped open “Though, it may seem to you unfathomable seeing that we were members of an empire you once opposed,” he clasps his hands behind his back.

“It is,” Allura is at a loss, unsure what to say.

“It seems, though I am getting off track, a conversation perhaps for another time. Anyhow, and this is” gesturing with palm open “as you now know General Cossack,” he winks at her, only for him to get nudge the ribs by his peer.

“ow,”

“Were on duty, stop acting like an intoxicated flirt,”

He grunts, holding his side “like I said, just bein friendly, “

“Mhh, and Mukrats fly,”

“So,” she can't help, but smile a tad the comradeship. She the nervousness that she had been coursing through her veins started to ebb away.

“So, is that is all of you,”

“Merla and Thork should be one their way,”

“Wait, Merla-”

“Did someone call my name,” A feminine voice enters the scene accompanied by a tall, slender female Galra, however unlike many her hair was a dark violet that was coiled and braided down her back. Her armor obsidian with streaks of darkish lavender. She walked with a sultry sway, her boots click upon the metallic floor as she approached with a curious gleam in her eye.

“Long time no see, Cossack,” she eyes him up and down, sending a chill down the latter's back.

“H-ha, the same could be said for you,” he tugged at the hem of his armor, looking at anything that wasn't the vixen next to him. He smiles at him wantonly before turning her attentions to the princess.

“Ah, Princess Allura, Lotor has spoken much about you,” Allura wrinkles her nose, as Merla intrudes into her personal space, her manicured fingers grab a thin strand of hair, twisting it between two. Whatever perfume the Galra woman is wearing stings her nose-making her feel as though she were breathing in fumes.

“A little too much if you ask me,” another voice came from behind.  

“Ah-Hello, Thork,” Yorak says with as little enthusiasm as possible.

“Whatever,” said man snorts, crossing his arms, looking away pointedly.  

“Ignore the men,” Merla waves offhandedly “I must ask, Princess what do you use for your hair. It’s such an exceptionally odd texture.” Again, Allura finds herself at a loss on what to say or do, seeing that she’s once again having her personal space invaded upon. Are all Galra this forth coming. The ones that she does know are emotionally stunted for causal contact.

“Merla, your being inappropriate” Yorak chastises.

“I’m just curious.” Yorak rolls his eyes. He grabs her by her ear.

“Yorak, you brute, is this any way to treat a lady,” she whines, as the larger man yanks her away, pulling her to stand by his side.

 Allura is reminded of her paladins and their antics.

“It seems all you have made yourself quite at home” Allura sighs in relief. She didn’t know how much more she could take of this without being throw loop for loop. But, whatever words she has for him on caught on the end of her tongue-once she notices his attire.  He had changed his armor- the cape, are those earrings? Her skin is red-hot, her heart lit on fire and smoke. She bites the inside of cheek. She feels rude for openly gawking at him, but-its-she can’t help it. It should be illegal to be that attractive.

“Long time, no, see, Lotor, still as scrawny as I remember you to be” Cossack grins.

“And it’s good to see you still retain your callousness, Cossack, it’s hard to believe your still single”

“Lucky, for you have I no desire to settle down, any time soon.”

“Your indulgence in ravenousness will be the end of you someday,”

“Ha! Will see about that!” he bellows loudly.

“Blood Emperor.” Yorak bows low “It is good to see you good health again”

“As, you Yorak” Lotor nods to him.

“Has Auntie been giving you trouble” Merla asks, finally free of Yorak’s grip.

“Dayak…. has been- “

“Overly helpful”

“Well, that’s certainly a nice way of putting it” Lotor grimaces.

Merla snickers with a hand pressed to her ebony lips “Well, better you then me, I suppose”

“Are we done with the pleasantries or are we going to get to the matter at hand”

“In any case” Lotor clears his throat “Throk is right. We have much to discuss. This way if you may”

“Princess” he offered his arm to her per-usual. Allura feels red all over again. He had done it so many times, now she thought she would have gotten used to it by now. She nods, taken hold of the crook of his elbow, as they led the way.

****

Lotor’s generals ended up bickering amongst themselves on their way to her castle. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was, she peered to Lotor questioning, he simply shrugged, and said it was just an ancient argument that neither party obviously couldn’t let go of. She decided there then to inquire about them, it had been nagging the back of her mind, since their arrival.

“So, what's up with them, I mean their story” Allura prodded “how do you know each other, or um met”

“Hmm, ah, I suppose you could say they were old peers of mine back in my youth.”

“So, like classmates?”

“Something of the sort, we had spent time in gladiatorial pits for disciplinary reasons, afterwards they came to work under me until I was exiled”

“Were they aware of what you were doing?” Allura asked, quietly. She had come to know over time that the incident with the mining colony was a touchy subject. Then everything with Lotor was a touchy subject. She had to brace herself, care of which lines to thread and which to not. One wrong move, usually ended up with him clamping shut or shutting down.

“Of course, in fact I wouldn’t have been able achieve what I did without their help” she squeezed the crook of his arm. That was good then. At least wasn’t as alone, as she once perceived-but still-

 “but after Zarkon had found out, I took the fall for it, so no one else would be needlessly punished. Though, perhaps it was in vain, seeing that Cossack had been promptly exiled shortly afterwards for his reckless behavior. Yorak left on his own terms disillusioned with the current state of the empire, and Merla too left of her own accord, however that had more to do with her family attempting to force marriage upon. And Throk was someone that I had won over at my return to the empire”

“Won or manipulated” she lifted a brow skeptically. He chuckles.

“Perhaps, both. Though, I can say that he isn’t entirely fond of me, but Throk is also no fool”

“Then why chose him, if he doesn’t like you”

“With matters concerning war, personal feelings must be set aside for the greater good”

Allura didn’t respond, quietly mullering over his words. It’s true personal feelings shouldn’t interfere in the matters concerning war. Allura can’t think of an ally she hasn’t come across that she didn’t like. She wouldn’t say love, or like, but the coalition, despite all the differences and varied backgrounds all had a common goal. Take down Zarkon, and free those under Galran Tyranny. She tried to imagine what it would be like to work alongside her paladins without the comradery and familial love that they had between them, and instead was replaced with cold unfamiliarity. Would she be able to manage despite that if that were the case? What about the future would she able to work alongside difficult allies. The thought made her shudder. However, it reminded her of her own naivety.  

 _I still have a long way to go don’t I_. She’s still such a far cry from the ruler that her father was. She wondered, despondently if she’ll ever live up to his expectations. Everything, this was still all new to her, she’s threading thin ground, and without her father to guide her, she felt as though she was just winging it.  Another inadequacy between her and the man next to her. He had thousands of years to hone his skills, while Zarkon’s wrath scorched her time short to learn.  

“Allura, you’ve fallen strangely quiet”

“Huh, oh, sorry” she beams weakly “I was just thinking”

“Would you mind if asked what it is that seems to have you trouble”

“It’s just” her ears pull behind her head “I just-I suppose that I feel inadequate to you”

“Inadequate? How so.”

“Well, you more experience than me in the manner of leadership, and politics, I feel as though I’m not doing as I should, or I’m not doing, or striving towards my best. I’ve barely had time to hone my skills as a ruler, while you’ve had centuries to learn what to do, and what not to do. At times I feel, as though often I let my emotions make my decisions for me. For example,” It’s then she turns away from him, slightly ashamed “when we-the prisoner exchanged. I realized how foolish it was to trust Zarkon. I was blinded my prejudice towards you, and offered your life, while you were defenseless to protect yourself in exchange for another, in exchange for a slim chance. If it weren’t for you Lotor things could have gone so horribly wrong in a heartbeat.”

“I- “

“And the Kral Zera was another poor choice of mine, I was far more worried about the risks, that I didn’t consider the advantages, as a fellow royal, I more than anyone should have known how imperative it is to have someone on the throne, with power vacuums and such, and again Lotor if weren’t for your insight, we very much could have had Sendak on the throne. Do you see it, now” her gaze flies back up to him, shimmering with apologizes on the tip of her tongue, and guilt set in the weight of her eyes. She holds him tighter, afraid that he might slip through her fingers.

“And for that I’m-”

“You needn’t apologize, Princess- “

“Yes, I will, Lotor.” She asserted sternly “When someone does wrong, it is right to apologize and own up to one’s mistakes. Lotor, I’m truly am sorry. Sorry for my misjudgment of you and how we treated you in the beginning, and I also as their princess apologize on the paladins’ behalf, as well.”  

Lotor felt himself openly staring both stunned, and yet strangely touched. People weren’t in the habit of apologizing to him, let alone admitting that they had wronged him in any way, shape or form. He felt enthralled by the woman before him, there was not just heat burning in his stomach, but underneath the skin of his cheeks as well. He turns his head away sharply, childishly embarrassed suddenly at the pure sincerity in her sapphire eyes.

“Lotor..?”

“It’s nothing, Princess” he shakes his head, turning his face back to hers hoping that the dark lavender of his cheeks had dissipated or at least hoped that she wouldn’t notice.

“I-I accept your apology, Allura” her weaken smile upturns into one that is genuine.

******

“And who are these guys. And what’s up with your new get-up, I’m pretty sure it’ too early to try on your Halloween costume” Lotor wondered briefly, if Allura would be livid with him, if he decided to throw the red-paladin into the gladiator pits. Perhaps it would teach him a lesson or two.  The paladins’ minus a Keith, were all seated in the living quarters lounging around with various snacks and drinks littering the table.

“Lance.” Allura glowered. This is getting ridiculous.

“Lance.” Shiro warned, exasperated by the teen’s belligerent behavior as of late. He clasped a hand on his shoulders to keep him at bay, and judging by Lotor’s expression, to put himself between them, if the moment calls for it. In Shiro honest opinion Lance is definitely pushing the latter’s patience as of late.  “Lance, I’m pretty sure beside us” Hunk started, lounged on his seat on the couch “they don’t understand what Halloween is.” The boy scoffs in response.

“So, Lotor who are your frie- “Shiro stilled, his eyes wide as Yorak came into view. A shudder crawled down his spine, his lips tremble-

“Hey, Shiro are you okay” Pidge questions quietly, her tiny hand coming to grip his arm, but her enquiring looks along with the others halt once they notice the startling resemblance of the Galra in front of them.

“Sen…. dak” Shiro whispers hoarsely.

Yorak peers at him cautiously “No. I am not him. Judging by your expression it seems to me that you and Sen didn’t have the best of relationships. I am correct in that assumption.”

Shiro inhales shakily “Uh, sorry” he mumbles, but trails off, as he tries to calm himself. He feels Pidge pat his arm comfortingly. Her honey eyes still tinged with concern.

“It is fine. I understand. Sen has that impact on others”

“Yeah, because he’s a self-deluded loon” Cossack mumbles more to himself.

“Yeah-no offense-um” Hunk inquired, hesitantly.

“Yorak.” He does his best to offer a friendly smile in the hopes that it would ease the tension.

“You guys-like look disturbing the same, aside from a few differences”

“It’s no offense, then again it is to be expected, after all he is my younger brother.” Allura thought her eyes would pop out. Well, that explained a lot.

 “WHAT!”

“SENDAK HAS A BROTHER!”

“Sen and have many siblings”  

“Well, that’s disturbing” Lance croaks under the chaos.

“It’s weird, but it’s not all too far-fetched. Even, bad guys have families. I mean it’s not like they just popped out thin air and decided they were just going to be evil.” The yellow paladin chimed in thoughtfully.

“But still-”

Lotor stands at attention “In any case, I wish to introduce you to my newly appointed generals.” Cossack stands front and center, giving the signature Galra salute “This is Cossack of Arkadios.” The paladins nod in acknowledgement.

“So, these are the squirts that finally managed to back your old man in to a corner. Nice to me ya. And a special nice to meet ya to the young lady in the green” he winks at Pidge.

Pidge nearly spilled hot coffee into her lap, she looks up “You know I’m a girl?”

“I know a pretty pair of eyes anywhere-OW!” Merla slammed her heel into the foot of his boot.

“Can’t you keep it in your pants for one second” Merla barked. Pidge felt that if she were robotic her wirings would have fried themselves, as her cheeks turn an embracing shade of red. She lifts her piping hot cup of black coffee to her face to hide the evidence on her face. She turns to find Hunk wiggling his brow suggestively at her, she pouts darting her honey eyes away from him.

Lotor sighs in exasperation “and this is a long-time comrade of mine, Merla of Athenias. She is also Dayak’s niece.

“Really!” Hunk pipes up, curious “I didn’t know Dayak had a niece. Nice to meet you, your aunt’s quite the instructor”

“At least some of you have manners around here. My your cute” she pinches his cheek with a cheekily smile pressed to her lips.

“Uh-um, thanks” It was Hunks turn to burn a striking shade of red. He rubs the spot Merla pinched once her hand moved back to rest on her hip.

“And I’m Lance, the red paladin, the sharp-shooter of team Voltron, it’s a pleasure to meet you, milady” he bows over the hand he took. Merla doesn’t miss a beat snatching her hand away, the sudden motion causing Cossack to jump back, fear in his amber gaze. He keeps himself slightly tucked away at Yorak’s side, to which the latter rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“I hope you don’t kiss you mother with that mouth of yours, little boy.” Lance deflates under Merla’s chilling gaze, returning back to his spot on the couch to sulk. Hunk and Pidge snicker.

“Seems like someone lost their mojo” Hunk coughs into his hand.

“You guys are real comedians” He hissed.

“I guess it’s payback for all the hearts you broke back the garrison”

Shiro hushed them.

Allura pulled away from Lotor “If all of you may kindly have a seat we have much to discuss.”

“And, as you know this is Yorak of Agamemnon. And on his right is Throk of Lycus.” Throk in return simply crossed his arms and grunted, he took seat far away from the snickering paladins. Merla took a seat that was unfortunately, opposite of the current red paladin, with Yorak seated next to her, while Cossack sat on his right. Lotor sat at the center, with Allura by his side.

“If I may, what’s up with the names?”  Shiro asked, he took a seat next Lance, who was bouncing his knee in agitation.

“They’re the names of the houses that we belong to” Lotor begun.

“Houses,” Hunk asks, inquisitive.

“Their noble households that are closely related to the throne either through blood, adoption, or marriage,” Lotor speaks. “Sendak was from the Agamemnon Household before being promptly banished.”

“Banished?” Shiro asks “Why was Sendak banished, wasn’t he trained personally by Emperor Zarkon,”

“If I may, Blood Emperor, me and brother are from house of Agamemnon. In short, I am Yorak of Agamemnon from the Delphi system. Though, to be more specific Sendak and I are half-brother’s, we have the same father, different mothers. While, I was born to my mother who was my Father’s favored wife, Sendak was born to a lowly prostitute.” Yorak lamented, his gaze forlorn, as if reliving an event, he didn’t wish to remember.

“Wait. Wait, back the train up, favorite wife?” Lance interrupted.

“My Father, Anatok of Agamemnon had many wives. He was a……let’s say he had voracious sexual appetites which resulted in many legitimate and illegitimate children. He was often under scorn for his promiscuity.”

“Why was his mother considered a lowly prostitute.” Shiro queried morbidly curious.

“Lyra, Sendak’s mother was an orphan due to war, her parents were not warriors, but scientists that were in the wrong place, at the wrong time, when coalition rebels bombed their base of operation, leaving Lyra without any means of providing for herself, and due to half-bred status-

“Half-bred! I thought Sendak was pure Galran,”

“Sendak isn’t entirely Galra, Lyra’s mother wasn’t a pureblood, while her father was. Technically, speaking Sendak isn’t a half-bred, but he isn’t entirely pure-blooded either.”

“Talk about being a major hypocrite,” Pidge muttered “I mean what was all that screaming about half-breeds and ethnic cleansing,”

Lotor sighs, quietly. Allura glances at him, worriedly from the corner of her eye. She quietly takes his hand, squeezing it comfortingly, he returns the sentiment. Lance watches the exchange with baited breath and resentment, as slouched back into the couch his previous excitement dwindling.

“If I may continue,” everyone pipes down

“Prostitution was her only way out of the poverty that she was left to rot in. She had met my father at a brothel she worked in, he became a regular over time, which resulted in Sendak’s conception.” Pidge and Lance made faces.

“As, in Galra fashion, he took her in, as a concubine, to avoid further scandal, as it was, Anatok, was already under heavy fire due to having affair with a fellow nobleman’s wife.”

“Jeez, guy just couldn't keep it in his pants could he,” Pidge quips over her nearly empty cup of black coffee.

“Honestly,” Coran huffs “He sounds quite the scoundrel,”

Yorak hums in agreement “If only my father was as dedicated to his interests as was to his own children,” he spat sourly. “In any case, Lyra soon gave birth to Sendak. However, my father the despicable man that he was, was unkind to Sendak, as he was to Lyra, despite Sen being be a prodigy. He excelled beyond his peers, and siblings, in fact he out did me, in any other eyes Sen, was more than capable of taking our father's place, as head of the Amegemoon household.”

“But, aren't you the eldest,”

“Well, yes, but as you've seen at Blood Emperor Lotor's Kral Zera, birthright isn't everything. Even, Zarkon had to fight his own brother at his own Kral Zera in order to ascend to the throne.”

“Zarkon has a brother” Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, Lance exclaimed.

“Zarkon had many siblings,” Coran chimed in, twirling his mustache “Um, how many were there….” the Altean taps his chin “I believe he had thirty at least, if my memory serves me right,”

“Thirty!” Lance, Pidge, and Hunk shouted in unison.

“I mean my family's big! But, I couldn't imagine sharing a bathroom with thirty veronicas,” Lance appears as if in a daze, imagining for a brief moment what that actually be like. He shivered.

“I love Matt, but that doesn't mean I want thirty of him either,”

“Can you imagine how much food you'd have to cook. I mean I'm talking about three course meals, every day, you have to prepare a union size feast on the clock!”

“Yeah, imagine the food bill, it has got be in the thousands at least.”

“The Galra weren't the only ones with expansive families Alfor had 15 brothers and sisters and, queen Melenor was the oldest of 18 sisters. Me, I had 14 older brothers,”

Shiro pauses “You had brothers Coran?”

“Why, have I never mentioned them,”

“Yeah, no,” Lance rises a brow “this is the first time we’re hearing about it,”

“Well, then I should definitely remedy that. There was the oldest Marron, he was engineer of the family, next was Aparon, he was explorer, went off and got married to a-. Then there was Ouron, you know I was never all that close to him, if you asked me, he was black sheep of the family, sadly to say he got eaten by weblum. Next was Taron, he left home to become a bard, didn't work to well for him, he always kept getting his pants stolen right off his rear, spent most of years a horrible drunk. Then there was Soran. Soran, Soran” he tsked “he was a terrible moocher never worked a day in his life, Loran was one of those free-thinking individuals, believed he could gain nutrients by standing in front of sun for hours, he never bathed, you always knew he was coming the moment the scent of last year’s garbage permeated the room-well, there-was” Coran pauses “Oh, dear seems I got a little something my eye-oh-ah- it seems that I deviated from the topic at hand-continue on-Oh, look at that were out of refreshments-I’ll be, but a moment.”

Allura frowns after the man, as he tries to save face dashing out the room.

Yorak clears his throat-gaining everyone’s attention back to the conversation at hand.

“Anyways-at the time I had no interest in my father’s position as family head, having become disillusioned with the nobility at the time, I was more than willing to hand my birthright over to Sen. But, father refused to accept it, in his own words he would not hand any of his to a mongrel.  Sen did everything to receive our father’s blessing, but unfortunately, as the years went by he grew resentful as his efforts were in vain and my father’s abuse of Lyra grew too much for Sen to bare”

“So- “Shiro wondered out loud “what happened”

“He did what any person, especially in their adolescence would do pushed to the brink. He rebelled. He ravaged the entire estate. Set fire to everything. Luckily, no was severally injured, but it did make the elders question his sanity.  Eventually, he was stripped of his title and sentence to Gladiatorial pit, where Zarkon discovered him. I know nothing much, after that. Me and Sen lost contact over time. What I heard of him was through others about his various conquests, and brutality.” Yorak huffs through his nose harshly, his eyes sad with a warm glow.

“Hey, man” Cossack patted him on the shoulders “don’t let get cha down”

“I still wish I had done more to help” he says quietly.

Shiro remains silent as he watches the older galra. Sendak had been his tormentor. It was hard to believe that he was anything other than cruel and barbaric man that he was, a constant shadow looming within the realms of his nightmares. He remembers a saying, though he doesn’t know exactly, where he heard it from “Evil isn’t born, it is taught” perhaps it just goes to show that everything isn’t always as black and white as it seems.

 *****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: : If anyone’s familiar with FMA, I imagine Merla’s voice sounding like Lust’s I think it suits her. For Cossack, I’m going with maybe Kenpachi’s English voice actor, or maybe Scott McNeil, I Imagine Cossack sounding super gruff. For Yorak less gruff, and more baritone, but far more elegant sounding, I can’t think of voice actor that would fit. 
> 
> Lycus: Wolf 
> 
> Arkadios: Was derived from the name arktos meaning bear. Means Arcadia in Greek, and was a region in Greece. 
> 
> Athenias: Derived from the Greek goddess Athena. 
> 
> Agamemnon: Very steadfast
> 
> Some what do you guys think! Comments and Review are much welcome! And Thank you guys all for the lovely comments! I've been trying to come up with some world building, like I've been associating the Galra with ancient Greece mainly because of the whole gladiator area of thing, and their spartan like ideology.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, and Reviews are much welcomed!


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